Firm plays key role in unique rescue installation

The installation, which is located in Hampshire’s Solent Airport Daedalus, comprises six Medium Earth Orbit Local User Terminal (MEOLUT) domes and is the only one of its kind in the UK, and one of only seven in the world.

The MEOLUTs are state-of-the-art systems for receiving distress beacons, and will provide near instantaneous detection of distress beacons and rapidly resolved location of the beacons using “single burst” processing.

LARS assumed the role of principal contractor for the Maritime &Coastguard Agency project, working alongside other specialist companies on the installation, including McMurdo, widely recognised as the most trusted name in emergency readiness and response.

The new system will provide unparalleled precision and timing, enabling the MCA to respond promptly to any emergency situations and find individuals by their activated distress beacons using the most reliable system on the market today. It also enables the MCA to reliably ignore more than 90 percent of erroneous signals which are transmitted by out of date beacons.

Business development manager at LARS, Julian Cooper, was thrilled to have been part of such an important project, saying: “We are very proud to work with the UK MCA and this was a major undertaking for all involved, and one which will be hugely beneficial to so many people.

“Working as the principal contractor came with a lot of responsibility, but the team have been fantastic, rising to the challenge and overseeing the installation of this state-of-the-art equipment which will save so many lives.”