Connection, communication and coordination

SKYTRAC’s satellite communications solution provides global communication due to the Iridium Certus’ poleto-pole coverage. This connectivity makes two-way communication and coordination available even in remote and rural areas. It ensures that officers are equipped with the location information, incident data, and communication resources needed to make important decisions and actions, regardless of where they are or the status of ground infrastructure.

GETTING CONNECTED FOR BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Even though we live in a world where we are always connected on the ground, this is not the case for rotary aviation. Fuselage space for antenna, and the many aircraft variables during flight – like altitude above ground, air speed, pitch, roll, and yaw – have challenged in-flight satellite connectivity for many years on rotary aircraft. Using the Iridium Certus satellite network with the SDL-350 opens new possibilities for in-flight connectivity.

An SDL-350-equipped aircraft capable of transmitting near real-time video and image data through Certus or cellular is beneficial for aerial policing for several reasons. Access to near real-time video and image data significantly enhances situational awareness for law enforcement commands. Gaining immediate insights into incidents allows them to understand the context and severity of a situation quickly, enabling them to make more informed decisions and responses.

Video and image data improve coordination and communication from the air to the ground. This aids with effectively deploying officers, directing them to precise locations, monitoring their progress, and adjusting strategies when needed, eliminating the need for operation-wide ground infrastructure downlink systems like microwave or pointto-point radio, especially when operating outside core urban areas.

FURTHER BENEFITS

The SDL-350 video and imagery data transfer is just the tip of the iceberg for the solutions available via SKYTRAC. It can also be utilized for pole-to-pole aircraft tracking. This feature allows operational command to observe real-time flight paths, improving safety and keeping agencies up to date on the status of their aircraft and assets.

The SDL-350 also enables two-way communication via satellite telephone, satellite push-to-talk, messaging/email, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) over the Iridium Certus network, providing low-latency secure connectivity. Additionally, the SDL-350 offers in-flight patient data transfer and telemedicine capabilities. Critical medical equipment can connect to the onboard Wi-Fi hotspot or via ethernet, and dynamic patient data can then be transferred to the inbound care facility using either cellular or Iridium Certus networks.

Another capability offered through the SDL-350 is support for pilot and crew tablets’ automation and connectivity, giving the onboard crew operational critical data while in flight and away from the base.