Two small white and red boats pull a large net across the water’s surface in order to skim the residual oil off the top. the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Photo: Business Wire

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) awarded a managed connectivity services contract to SES Networks. SES aims to improve connectivity for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) provided to the European Union (EU) Member States and Agencies. These maritime surveillance activities supported by SES Networks are aimed at improving maritime security and safety operations, as well as response to pollution caused by ships, oil, and gas installations. The RPAS-driven missions will be carried out in the seas surrounding the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.

To help enable multiple long range long endurance RPAS operations for maritime surveillance operations of the member states’ authorities, SES Networks will design and provide deployment and maintenance of satcom connectivity during the missions. The managed services will include secure end-to-end satellite and terrestrial links, satellite capacity, and teleport infrastructure. Under the agreement, SES Networks will support EMSA’s Beyond Radio Line-of-Sight (BRLOS) RPAS operations, as well as satellite internet services to distribute the RPAS data and enable end-users to remotely follow the mission.

“Good satellite coverage is essential to our long range RPAS operations. It will help our users to gain a more complete maritime picture,” said EMSA Executive Director Maja Markovčić Kostelac. “The latest satcom contracts will enable the transmission of data from multiple sensors in real time, allowing users to focus more closely on the actual operation.”