News

Using newly developed Thermal Imaging (TI) technology developed at its Southampton site, SELEX GALILEO has created a range of 3rd generation TI cameras. These cameras, part funded under a Ministry of Defence (MoD) programme called Albion, have the capability to see in the dark with unmatched clarity, reinforcing the company's position as a world leader in high performance TI cameras.

SELEX GALILEO, a Finmeccanica company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). This MOU will see the company develop a working relationship for research and development with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Radio Frequency, Radar, Communications, Laser, Electro Optics (EO) and Infrared Technologies.

SELEX GALILEO, a Finmeccanica company and one of Europe's foremost Aerospace and Defense organisations signed on the 23rd of May a strategic supply agreement with RF Micro Devices (RFMD), a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency systems and solutions.

SELEX GALILEO is pleased to announce the opening of its new Electronic Warfare Operational Support (EWOS) facility in Lincoln, UK. The new site is dedicated to the delivery of EWOS capability and products.
Located at Alpha Court, on the western outskirts of Lincoln, the 1100 square metre facility, which includes a 200 square metre Radio Frequency screened laboratory, is strategically sited to enable SELEX GALILEO to provide enhanced Electronic Warfare (EW) support to local RAF operational units and to the UK Air Warfare and Defence EW Centres.

On May 7th  at 01:37 the first hydrogen atomic clock (Passive Hydrogen Maser PHM) ever embarked on a space mission reached operating temperature and started to generate the reference signal on board the GioveB Galileo satellite, launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on April 27th .

With a frequency stability equivalent to 1 second every 3 million years, the Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM) is the most stable operational atomic clock for space use ever built. The Maser was developed by SELEX GALILEO of Finmeccanica, one of the biggest players in the European Defence Electronics sector.
Galileo - the most sophisticated satellite navigation system - will have on-board atomic clocks made in Italy.
With its exceptional stability, SELEX GALILEO's Maser will guarantee the Galileo System with high levels of precision, without synchronisation from ground control for over 8 hours.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has selected the SELEX GALILEO SEASPRAY 7500E AESA surveillance radar system for its HC-130H radar upgrade program. This follow on contract for the production element has been awarded after successful demonstration of this revolutionary technology.
The contract valued at US$32 million for this phase, is scheduled to run over the next four years. A total of 15 HC-130H aircraft will be upgraded to a new level of capability. The SEASPRAY 7500E electronically scanned array (ESCAN) radar, which operates using a dedicated multi station display suite and surveillance/SAR, will be the primary sensor on the USCG's front line long range maritime surveillance aircraft.

Within the Finmeccanica stand, SELEX GALILEO showcases its latest sensors and technologies for Earth observation, navigation, Space exploration and security: from the hyperspectral camera Sym GA, to the latest generation FALCO unmanned vehicle, to the electro-optical payload EOST 45. SELEX GALILEO sensors are flying on main ESA, NASA and ASI mission such as: CASSINI; ROSETTA; VENUS EXPRESS; GALILEO; DAWN; ATV PROGRAMME; EXOMARS and PRISMA.

SELEX GALILEO, part of Finmeccanica, participates to the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Jules Verne ATV launched on the 9th of March from the Kourou spaceport, in French Guiana. The Automatic Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne, a new series of spaceships, was launched without a
space crew and will reach the International Space Station (ISS) at the beginning of April. The ATV module will remain in orbit for a maximum 6 months and, once completed its tasks, will head back to Earth and disintegrate in the atmosphere.

Activities in SELEX GALILEO site of Campi Bisenzio are growing in preparation for the ASI mission
PRISMA, due for launch by the end of 2011.
PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa) is a small satellite (<500 Kg) built by
an industrial consortium responsible for the development of the mission, which includes: Carlo
Gavazzi Space as Prime, SELEX GALILEO and Rheinmetall Italia. The contract awarded to SELEX
GALILEO is worth 28 million Euros.

SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems (SELEX S&AS), a Finmeccanica company, is delighted to announce that it has received an important order from a North European country for the supply of its new world leading PicoSAR lightweight airborne ground surveillance radar.
This is the first order for PicoSAR and discussions are underway with various potential customers around the world for further orders. It is anticipated that PicoSAR will be a great success and will become a key part of the SELEX S&AS Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar family.

From January 2008 SELEX S&AS and Galileo Avionica will begin to operate internationally as a single company, within the Finmeccanica Group and will be known as SELEX GALILEO. Historically both companies have traded separately and each has developed a strong client base and a reputation for excellence. The name SELEX GALILEO celebrates this tradition and will facilitate continued brand recognition which the new Executive Team is keen to retain and further develop.

This name reflects the strengths of both companies and is independent of nationality. Consequently it creates the platform which enables all of the benefits of combined working to be realised and is therefore a key part of the companies integration plan. It confirms the importance and continued development of both existing companies within the Finmeccanica Group and offers clients a one-stop shop to a comprehensive range of world leading products. The Executive Team believes that the new name SELEX GALILEO will offer a high recognition factor, giving staff a name that they can be proud of and offering clients the reassurance that the high standards that they have come to expect will continue to be available to them on an even greater scale than before.

After the successful launch of the interplanetary space probe DAWN on the 27th of September 2007 from Cape Canaveral, the VIR-MS (Visibile InfraRed - Mapper Spectrometer) instrument was switched on for the first time. The VIR-MS was designed and entirely manufactured by Galileo Avionica, under commission of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), the Italian Space Agency.
VIR-MS (Visibile InfraRed - Mapper Spectrometer) is a key instrument of the mission: most of scientific the goals of DAWN will be reached thanks to this spectrometer operating in the visible and near infrared.

The Galileo Avionica (Finmeccanica) FALCO System has successfully completed an intense program of mission testing by an international launch customer, during which it fulfilled all the requirements specified in the contract, enabling it to demonstrate optimal operational functionality. The FALCO System is composed of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from the TUAV/MAE category, a Ground Control Station (GCS), a Ground Data Terminal (GDT) and Ground Support Equipment (GSE).
The FALCO System was validated after very successful trials lasting 15 months which were carried out in three different continents (Africa, Europe, Asia), under the most diverse climatic and operational conditions.

The MAST - Maritime Systems and Technology - exhibition will take place from the 14 to the 16 of November in Genoa at Porto Antico (Cotone Congress centre). At the Showcase Galileo Avionica, a Finmeccanica Company, will present the SOBCAH programme, a project financed by the European Community in the framework of the 2005 Preparatory Action for Security Research.

Galileo Avionica is one of the three companies part of the project "Milano nello Spazio". This project will start the next 23 October with two exhibitions: one at the University of Milan - Bicocca ("Giuseppe Occhialini: dagli atomi alle stelle" from the 24 October to the 30 November) and the second at the Polytechnic of Milan - Bovisa ("Tecnologia e scienza in orbita" from the 24 October to the 8 November).

The Vacuum Technologies centre at Carsoli (near L'Aquila) represents for Galileo Avionica a site of excellence on the design, development and production of optical and functional coatings military, aerospace and civil applications Galileo Avionica plant carries out both: a Research and Development activity and a significant production specialized in optical coatings, becoming a reference for all Finmeccanica companies.
The optical coatings realized at the Carsoli center are manufactured in vacuum using different technologies and are applied on optics such as lens, windows, and mirrors to maximize their optical properties in the UV-NIR range.

Edinburgh based Radar specialists, SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems (SELEX S&AS) will feature as main sponsors of The Institution of Engineering and Technology's International Conference on Radar Systems (Radar 2007) which will be hosted in the Capital from 15 - 18 October.

SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems (SELEX S&AS), a Finmeccanica Company, is delighted to have received an important order from Kelowna Flightcraft of Canada to supply Titan 385ES EO Turrets for onward sale to Kazan Helicopters of Russia. These flexible multi-sensor turrets will be installed on Mi-17-V5 helicopters manufactured in Russia for delivery to the Kazakstan Airforce.

Galileo Avionica is partner of the European programme SOSTAR-X aiming to meet NATO AGS (Airborne Ground Surveillance) requirements by the development, production and testing of an advanced Airborne Ground Surveillance radar system with an active AESA (Antenna Electronic Scanned Array) antenna.
The Radar named SOSTAR-X (Stand-off Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar) is a system particularly suitable for the surveillance of vast areas observed from a great distance.