$10.61 million contract with Lockheed Martin for NSS-7
Satellite
- Contract grows by 22% since November -
CAMBRIDGE, ON, Feb. 24 /CNW/ - COM DEV International Ltd. (TSE:CDV),
today announced more details about a space hardware supply contract as
promised earlier in its general announcements of November 15, 1999 and
February 1, 2000.
COM DEV Space Group has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin Commercial
Space Systems - Newtown, valued at $10.61 million, to supply microwave
equipment for the NSS-7, a New Skies Satellite N.V. geosynchronous satellite
that will provide telecommunication services to the Atlantic region.
The project is an 11-month program to be accomplished under COM DEV's
long-term procurement agreement with Lockheed Martin. Under the terms of the
contract, COM DEV will provide C-band input and output multiplexers, ancillary
products, switch bank assemblies and switch matrices for NSS-7, a hybrid Ku-
and C-band satellite based on the A2100 bus. NSS-7 will provide Ku- and C-band
commercial telecommunication services, including video distribution, Internet
access, corporate business networking and fixed services such as telephony and
data. The satellite will be located over the Atlantic Ocean, providing
coverage to Europe, Africa and the Americas.
New Skies Satellites N.V., based in the Hague, commenced operations in
December 1998. The company operates five satellites that collectively provide
complete global coverage at C-band and cover the majority of the world's
population centres at Ku-band.
"This program represents another major vote of confidence for our core
space products", said John Keating, President of COM DEV Space Group. "It
demonstrates that our filter and switching technology will play an important
and growing role in the continuing build-out of the satellite component of
global, wireless infrastructure".
COM DEV is the largest independent manufacturer of multiplexers, filters
and switches for commercial space applications in the world. A typical
commercial communications satellite today contains 150-200 microwave switches,
which are critical to the performance of a satellite. They route communication
traffic through the satellite and redirect signals to backup systems if one of
the primary system fail. The satellite's input multiplexer takes the broadband
signal received from the ground and separates it for amplification. The output
multiplexer recombines the signal to be beamed back to the ground. These Space
Group core products were developed over the past 15 years, often in
partnership with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Canada's Communications
Research Centre (CRC). Through COM DEV's market success, they have become a
major contribution to the world's commercialization of space. Such COM DEV
equipment was found on board more than 60 percent of the communications
satellites launched in 1998 - the last year for which this statistic is
available.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems - Newtown is a leading supplier
of satellites to military, civil government and commercial communications
organizations around the world. These spacecraft have enhanced global
communications; provided new, extensive and timely weather information; and
furnished new data for thousands of scientists studying our planet and space.
More than 750 spacecraft built by Lockheed Missiles & Space have been launched
since 1958, including more than 135 commercial satellites.
Canadian-based COM DEV International is the largest Canadian-owned
designer, manufacturer and distributor of space and ground-based wireless
products and subsystems through its two divisions: the Space Group and the
Wireless Group. COM DEV employs more than 1,300 people in facilities in
Ontario, New Brunswick, the United States, the United Kingdom and China.
The Space Group manufactures advanced products that are sold to the major
satellite prime contractors for use in earth science and commercial
communications satellites. The Wireless Group manufactures ground-based
infrastructure subsystems used in microwave and radio frequency systems, such
as GSM and CDMA-based digital telephone systems, and wireless local loop
networks. These products are sold primarily to major PCS wireless equipment
vendors.
This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from
results indicated in any forward-looking statements. The company cautions
that, among other things, in view of the rapid changes in the wireless
communications markets and technologies, and other risks including the cost
and market acceptance of the company's new products, the level of individual
customer procurements and competitive product offerings and pricing, and
general economic circumstances, the company's business prospects may be
materially different from forward- looking statements made by the company.
For further information: Investor and Media Contact: Ron Holdway, Vice
President, Corporate Communications, Tel: (519) 622-5004, Fax: (519) 622-1691,
E-mail: investor.relations@comdev.ca, Website: www.comdev.cc; Analyst
Contact: David Belbeck, Chief Financial Officer, Tel: (519) 622-2300 ext.
2288, Fax: (519) 622-2158, E-mail: david.belbeck@comdev.ca
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