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The Panasonic KX-G7001 subscriber communicator has GPS circuitry and antenna that is designed for the Orbcomm low-Earth orbit satellite system. The units, marketed in the U.S. by Panasonic Industrial Co., has data input and output devices. Another company, San Diego-based Torrey Science Corp., is manufacturing a communicator for Orbcomm. (Orbcomm, 703/406-5343.)

Honeywell Inc. [HON] and Pelorus recently showed off its DPGS Satellite Landing System 2000, or SLS-2000, at the Northwest American Association of Airport Executives meeting in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The two companies are trying to market the landing system to airport managers, city officials and local airlines. The SLS-2000 is expected to be the first...

Trimble Navigation [TRMB] recently won a contract from the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department in Florida to equipment 70 fire and rescue vehicles with its GPS/AVL Subsystem. In addition, the company sold 1,000 handheld GPS receivers to the British Army. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed. Trimble also put on the market its...

Litton Industries Inc. [LIT] won a $4 million contract to be the navigation component supplier for the German Tornado attack aircraft. The contract, which could have options worth $50 million, will place dual GPS/inertial navigation system units into the aircraft. (Robert Knapp, Litton, 818/598-5907.)

Reston, Va.-based Mogee Research & Analysis Associates’ (MRAA) new report, "Competitive Technology Report on Global Positioning System Technology," analyzes GPS international patents. The report identifies companies patenting GPS technology and ranks them on research and development, extent to exploit the technology, the most important GPS patents and who owns them. (Mary Ellen Mogee, MRAA, 703/478-3253,...

Lowrance Electronics Inc. [LEIX] recently expanded its Mexican manufacturing facility in Ensenada, which employees 150 people. Because of demand for GPS units, Lowrance said it will expand its operation to 400 people in 1997–and lease an 88,000-square foot facility in Ensenada. The company said it would have 170 employees in 1997 at its Tulsa, Okla.,...

DeLorme Mapping and AAA recently created the AAA Map’n’Go software that has a data base of more than 57,000 accommodations, restaurants, campgrounds and points of interest. With the Internet, users have access to DeLorme’s web site to grab road construction and weather conditions. (Amy Head, DeLorme, 207/865-1234, http://www.delorme.com.)

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), awarded a contract to Germantown, Md.-based Lovingfoss & Associates for monitoring and maintenance of NMFS’ commercial fishing vessel tracking system. The system uses Inmarsat C and GPS to regulate fishing around the Hawaiian islands. (Lovingfoss & Associates, 301/540-3468.)

The Washington State Department of Transportation and ITS America are sponsoring the National Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference in Spokane, Wash. For details, call 206/543-3332 or e-mail [email protected].

Interstate Electronics Corp. (IEC) recently named C. Stephen Jungers as vice president of business development. Jungers, who will market the company’s defense and commercial GPS products, previously was Lockheed Sanders’ vice president for business development. (Joan Hansen, IEC, 714/758-4023.)