UK government awards more ESN aircraft contracts

12/06/2020

The Home Office has awarded two companies the contracts to complete aircraft ‘transmitting portable electronic devices’ (TPED) as part of the Emergency Services Network roll-out.

The companies in question are Specialist Aviation Services and Gama Aviation. According to a statement, TPEDs facilitate the carrying out of electro-magnetic compatibility testing on emergency services aircraft, prior to the installation of comms.

Speaking of the contracts, a spokesperson for the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme said: “ESN is the next generation of critical communications for the three emergency services and other user organisations. An element of ESN is the development of a 4G LTE air to ground network, and aircraft communication system.

“The Home Office has engaged both Specialist Aviation Services and Gama Aviation to complete this testing on a number of different aircraft, to gain approval from EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency).”
 
Scott McVicar, managing director for Europe ground at Gama, said: “I believe [this contract] demonstrates our continued ability to deliver appropriate solutions across a wide variety of current and future missions for the UK’s emergency services.”

Both contracts have been awarded until April 2021.

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Media contact

Philip Mason
Editor, Critical Communications Portfolio
Tel: +44 (0)20 3874 9216
Philip.mason@markallengroup.com

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