Digital Angel Corporation (Amex:DOC), an advanced technology company in the field of rapid and accurate identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value assets, announced today that its OuterLink subsidiary was honored this week by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) for OuterLink’s In-Flight Reporting System, a real-time, satellite-based data communications system being used by the U.S. Navy to help ensure the safety of its pilots, among other attributes.
OuterLink was part of a team that received the prestigious Harry T. Jensen Award for 2005 at a ceremony Wednesday for creating a monitoring system for the U.S. military that records the mechanical performance of a helicopter, including its engine, rotors, driveshaft and other mechanical parts, and transmits that information to ground officials while the aircraft is in flight.
The OuterLink In-Flight Reporting System is the communication link that transmits the mechanical data by satellite to the flight operations center so military officials can track how the helicopter is performing in the air and, if necessary, immediately ground the aircraft before any catastrophic event. The AHS noted that the overall system “added far-reaching capabilities to military health and usage monitoring systems.”
Paul F. Newcomb, President of OuterLink Corporation, said the In-Flight system is currently being used by commercial helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for tracking and flight following, but this is the first time it has been integrated into a mechanical monitoring system. The monitoring system is currently being used by the U.S. Navy on its SH-60B helicopters and the potential exists for implanting it on a fleet-wide basis throughout the military, Newcomb added.
“This system has significant added value potential,” Newcomb said. “It is an important monitoring system for several reasons and certainly in terms of safety while in flight. But there is also an economic payback in maintenance. It enables flight operations to monitor the performance of the aircraft and determine when proper maintenance should occur, not just base that decision on hours in the air.”
Newcomb added that four Navy helicopters have sent more than 5 megabytes of data-representing 89,426 satellite messages-through the OuterLink system in the past month alone.
Other members of the team that created the system included Draper Laboratories, the systems integrator and Goodrich Aerospace, the supplier of the aircraft’s mechanical monitoring system.
About OuterLink
Based in Lowell, MA, OuterLink, a Digital Angel subsidiary, provides satellite-based mobile asset tracking and data messaging systems. Used to manage the deployment of aircraft and land vehicles, these systems provide real-time location reporting, secure bi-directional data communication and comprehensive asset management software. They enable ground personnel to track the minute-by-minute movement of mobile assets, monitor on-board sensors and conduct bi-directional messaging with aircraft pilots and ground vehicle operators. For more information, visit http://www.outerlink.com.
About Digital Angel Corporation
Digital Angel Corporation develops and deploys sensor and communications technologies that enable rapid and accurate identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of high-value assets. Applications for the Company’s products include identification and monitoring of humans, pets, fish, poultry and livestock through its patented implantable microchips; location tracking and message monitoring of vehicles and aircraft in remote locations through systems that integrate GPS and geosynchronous satellite communications; and monitoring of asset conditions such as temperature and movement, through advanced miniature sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by Applied Digital Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSX). For more information about Digital Angel, please visit www.DigitalAngelCorp.com.
