MDA to Design and Build Canada's RADARSAT Constellation Mission

RICHMOND, BC --- MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., a provider of essential information solutions, announced today that it has won the competition to design and build the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), which will allow for increased surveillance of Canada and its coastal waters.>> The program will be funded in phases and MDA has just signed a $40 million (CAD) contract to complete the first phase. It will take 16 months to complete and deliver the high level design.>> RCM represents a major enhancement of Canada's RADARSAT program, following the successes of RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2. RCM will provide frequent surveillance and monitoring of Canada's coastal zones, northern territories, Arctic waterways, maritime areas of strategic interest, and defence interests around the world. This is critical, given the challenges posed by Canada's geographical size and its more than 240,000 kilometres of coastline.>> Unlike RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2, which are single satellites, RCM is a constellation of three satellites. This allows for more regular monitoring of the Canadian coast, thus enhancing security. While the initial mission includes three satellites, the Constellation is designed so that it can grow to include up to six satellites.>> Daniel Friedmann, MDA's president and CEO, said "With RCM, MDA will be providing Canada with a powerful information solution to meet priorities in sovereignty, security, the Canadian North and resource management across the country. As well, this program will continue MDA's world leadership in the radar surveillance area.