ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) and Windmill International, Inc. announced today at Milcom 2007, that the military has begun evaluating the first fully portable Global Broadcast Service (GBS) Receive Suite.
The suite, designed to deliver situational awareness to an increasingly mobile fighting force, delivers the equivalent of 19 T1 lines, or 29 Mbps of data. EMS Technologies' Defense & Space Systems (D&SS) Division is supplying the nimble, small antenna aperture on the front end of the suite's RF system.
Windmill developed the product under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The company is delivering demonstration units of the suite for evaluation under the Defense Department's Defense Acquisition Challenge Program. The Windmill/EMS system when fielded weighs less than 40 pounds, 85 percent lighter than the government's current GBS system.
"The receive suite is ideal for mobile forces, who need to set up their communications infrastructure and tear it down quickly," says David Martin, vice president, Product Development for Windmill. "A small form-factor was a critical design requirement, and EMS's slot-array technology was crucial to system success -- it allows the system to collect the maximum amount of energy in the smallest amount of space while keeping the antenna's weight to a minimum. EMS has earned significant respect in the defense industry. It also has manufacturing expertise that meets the military's production needs for the system."
Commenting on the companies' collaboration, David Smith, vice president and general manager of EMS's D&SS Division, says, "EMS and Windmill have teamed to deliver the industry's lightest, most robust GBS receive system for forward troops, and we are well positioned to meet the military's quick-turnaround needs for this critical piece of hardware with our in-house production capabilities. With the receive suite, Special Forces can quickly set up and receive the information they need, whether it be last-pass detailed satellite imagery, weather information and UAV videos, or other data."
Windmill hopes to begin full production of the system in spring 2008. As of today, the Navy SEALS and the Marine Corps on the West Coast are evaluating five units. Military units can share a wide range of strategic and tactical information, from video streams to data imagery files, globally through this highly portable, rugged communications system.
Media attending Milcom 2007 can visit EMS Technologies' Booth # 605 to see a GBS Receive Suite evaluation model with the EMS-built acquiring antenna, as well as a video presentation depicting a soldier rapidly setting up, tearing down and operating the system in rugged terrain.
About Windmill International, Inc.
Now in its 19th year, Windmill International, Inc. is a privately owned company based in Nashua, NH which provides a variety of support services and products to the Department of Defense, NATO, and the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, visit http://www.windmill-intl.com/.
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) is a wireless and satellite communication solutions leader, serving aeronautical, defense, maritime, commercial space and supply chain markets. Through its LXE, EMS SATCOM, and Defense & Space Systems divisions, EMS keeps people, systems and data connected, wherever they are -- on the ground, in the warehouse, in the air, or in space. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide and operates major manufacturing facilities in Atlanta and Ottawa, Canada.
EMS Defense & Space Systems (D&SS) Division enables many of today's most advanced military and commercial space applications. EMS microwave systems serve the battlespace in communications, surveillance, precision strike and electronic warfare. Its low-observable, compact, and high-performance RF systems work across all warfighter platforms -- from space, air, ground and sea, to the soldier traveling on foot. D&SS also provides antenna capabilities for next-generation commercial satellites for entertainment and Internet connectivity. D&SS's customers include the world's best defense and space companies.
For more information, visit EMS on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.
Editor's Note: Media can visit the EMS D&SS Virtual Press Room for Milcom 2007 at: www.ems-t.com/milcom2007.