3rd Mar 2006 07:00
Cobham PLC03 March 2006 COBHAM SIGNS A$1BN COASTWATCH CONTRACT Cobham plc (Cobham) is delighted to announce its largest contract award to date.National Air Support company, Surveillance Australia, has been awarded a newAustralian Coastwatch contract worth A$1bn over twelve years. In the biggest operation of its type in the world, Cobham will provide for theAustralian government key elements of a border patrol service to detect illegalfishing and immigration, quarantine and environmental hazards, drug smugglingand missing vessels. To fulfil the new requirement for "all electronic surveillance" from January2008, ten Dash 8 aircraft will be equipped with new generation surveillancesensors, communications and data management systems, including a range of Cobhamproducts. National Air Support will invest in upgrading five existing Dash 8aircraft and add five more. Each aircraft will be capable of searching an areaof more than 110,000 km2 per flight and operate from existing bases in Broome,Darwin, Horn Island and Cairns, providing all weather, day and night electronicsurveillance of Australia's maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The award underlines Cobham's surveillance expertise in an increasinglydemanding network-centric environment. The smaller turboprop and piston-enginedaircraft in the current fleet will be progressively retired before the newcontract takes effect. Allan Cook, Cobham Chief Executive, said, "We are delighted to extend our existing eleven year partnership with Coastwatchand the Australian government to meet their future surveillance needs. Eachaircraft will act as a live link in a national data communications networkproviding timely, high quality surveillance information to Coastwatch so thatthey can make informed border security decisions in real time." ENQUIRIESCobham plc Tel: +44 (0)1202 882020Allan Cook, Chief ExecutiveWarren Tucker, Group Financial Director Weber Shandwick Square Mile Tel: +44 (0)20 7067 0746Susan Ellis, Kirsty Raper NOTESCobham plc - with five technology divisions and one in a service sector, theGroup designs and manufactures equipment, specialised systems and components forthe aerospace, defence, communications, law enforcement and national securitymarkets, and operates, maintains and modifies aircraft, particularly in relationto special mission flight operations and surveillance. National Air Support (NAS) Cobham's special mission aircraft operator inAustralia, provides services including: aerial surveillance for Coastwatch;aircrew and maintenance for the Tenix LADS hydrographic survey aircraft and aSuper Puma helicopter with industry partner Bristow Helicopters in support ofthe Australian Government's Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands(RAMSI). NAS and sister company National Jet Systems are part of Cobham Flight Operationsand Services Australia, operating a fleet of 48 fixed and rotary wing aircraftthroughout Australia and Papua New Guinea, employing more than 1,100 people. AsAustralia's third largest high capacity aircraft operator the group providespassenger and freight services to Qantas, Australian air Express, and majorresource industry and government organisations. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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