ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EMS Defense & Space, a division of aero connectivity and mobile resource management leader, EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG), today announced a contract with Thales Alenia Space to provide Ka band redundant low noise amplifier (RLNA) switching hardware. The hardware will support the Athena-Fidus satellite (Access on theaters for European allied forces nations-French Italian dual use satellite), a French-Italian telecommunications satellite that uses state-of-the-art civil broadband Internet technologies. Under the terms of the contract, EMS is slated to deliver a ferrite switch and driver electronics to meet Thales Alenia Space’s 2013 launch date.
“EMS has a longstanding history of providing low noise amplifiers and switching hardware for satellite communications payloads for heritage programs such as Echo, Anik F2, and the MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) satellite architecture,” said Derrell James, Vice President of Business Development, EMS Defense & Space. “We are pleased to be a partner with Thales Alenia Space and to serve as a trusted supplier of critical communications systems.”
The EMS switch assembly will enable a high level of performance for the Athena-Fidus satellite. The RLNA is a key front-end component of the payload that employs selective beam-switching to provide coverage in high-demand areas. EMS’s patented hardware is extremely compact and lightweight and is designed to create a 50-60% reduction in the mass of the RLNA switching function of the satellite.
“We selected EMS for their longstanding history of providing space-qualified hardware for communications satellites,” said Nathalie Smirnov, SVP System & Payload Telecommunications, Thales Alenia Space. “The combination of EMS and Thales Alenia Space will provide the French and Italian governments with a highly reliable and capable satellite system for military and government use.”
Athena-Fidus will be used by the ministries of defense in France and Italy, as well as civil security agencies in these countries, including homeland security, police and fire departments. The satellite will also complement the capabilities already offered by other European cooperative architectures. As a result of the contract, EMS Technologies will have switching hardware in use on over 20 military and commercial satellites.
About EMS Technologies
As one of the world’s leading providers of wireless connectivity solutions, EMS Technologies, Inc. keeps people and systems connected — on land, at sea, in the air or in space. EMS offers industry-leading technology to support Aero Connectivity and Global Resource Management markets through a broad range of cutting-edge satellite and terrestrial network products; helping businesses, assets and people stay connected and promoting universal mobility, visibility and intelligence. EMS (NASDAQ: ELMG) serves customers through operations in 12 countries.
EMS Defense & Space, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of antenna and beam management systems for a broad range of military and commercial applications, including mobile network-centric operations and radar for battlefield visibility. Utilizing innovative and cutting-edge technology, the division’s products and services enable secure and vital RF links in the air, in space, at sea and on the ground.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding the Company’s expectations for its financial results for 2011 and the potential for various businesses and products are forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those statements as a result of a wide variety of factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad and their effect on capital spending in our principal markets; difficulty predicting the timing of receipt of major customer orders, and the effect of customer timing decisions on our results; our successful completion of technological development programs and the effects of technology that may be developed by, and patent rights that may be held or obtained by, competitors; U.S. defense budget pressures on near-term spending priorities; uncertainties inherent in the process of converting contract awards into firm contractual orders in the future; volatility of foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar and their effect on purchasing power by international customers, and on the cost structure of the our operations outside the U.S., as well as the potential for realizing foreign exchange gains and losses associated with assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies; successful resolution of technical problems, proposed scope changes, or proposed funding changes that may be encountered on contracts; changes in our consolidated effective income tax rate caused by the extent to which actual taxable earnings in the U.S., Canada and other taxing jurisdictions may vary from expected taxable earnings, changes in tax laws, and the extent to which deferred tax assets are considered realizable; successful transition of products from development stages to an efficient manufacturing environment; changes in the rates at which our products are returned for repair or replacement under warranty; customer response to new products and services, and general conditions in our target markets (such as logistics and space-based communications) and whether these responses and conditions develop according to our expectations; the increased potential for asset impairment charges as unfavorable economic or financial market conditions or other developments might affect the estimated fair value of one or more of our business units; the success of certain of our customers in marketing our line of high-speed commercial airline communications products as a complementary offering with their own lines of avionics products; the availability of financing for various mobile and high-speed data communications systems; risk that unsettled conditions in the credit markets may make it more difficult for some customers to obtain financing and adversely affect their ability to pay, which in turn could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition; development of successful working relationships with local business and government personnel in connection with distribution and manufacture of products in foreign countries; the demand growth for various mobile and high-speed data communications services; our ability to attract and retain qualified senior management and other personnel, particularly those with key technical skills; our ability to effectively integrate our acquired businesses, products or technologies into our existing businesses and products, and the risk that any such acquired businesses, products or technologies do not perform as expected, are subject to undisclosed or unanticipated liabilities, or are otherwise dilutive to our earnings; the potential effects, on cash and results of discontinued operations, of final resolution of potential liabilities under warranties and representations that we made, and obligations assumed by purchasers, in connection with our dispositions of discontinued operations; the availability, capabilities and performance of suppliers of basic materials, electronic components and sophisticated subsystems on which we must rely in order to perform according to contract requirements, or to introduce new products on the desired schedule; uncertainties associated with U.S. export controls and the export license process, which restrict our ability to hold technical discussions with customers, suppliers and internal engineering resources and can reduce our ability to obtain sales from customers outside the U.S. or to perform contracts with the desired level of efficiency or profitability; our ability to maintain compliance with the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, and with other government regulations affecting our products and their production, service and functioning; and costs associated with a recent announcement by one of shareholders that it intends to nominate four directors to our Board. Further information concerning relevant factors and risks are identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.