FLIR TransponderTech (formerly Saab TransponderTech) is a Swedish maritime technology company that specializes in SOLAS-certified communication, tracking, and satellite navigation hardware.
FLIR TransponderTech manufactures hardware and systems to ensure that commercial ships, military vessels, and maritime authorities can accurately track ship locations and communicate safely. Their specific contributions to maritime navigation include:
- Automatic Identification System (AIS) Transponders: They manufacture top-tier Class-A AIS transponders (such as the R6 Supreme series). These transponders automatically broadcast a vessel’s identity, speed, and GNSS coordinates to other nearby ships and coastal stations to prevent collisions.
- VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) Pioneering: They are world leaders in VDES, which is the next-generation evolution of AIS. VDES offers vastly expanded data bandwidth and integrates directly with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In fact, the company operates its own fully functional satellite to enable global tracking coverage for ships even in the middle of the ocean.
- Anti-Jamming & Anti-Spoofing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Systems: They design advanced navigation systems. These tools deliver high-accuracy Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning and are specifically hardened to combat modern maritime threats like GNSS jamming and electronic spoofing.
- Secure Tactical Systems: For navies, coast guards, and marine police forces, they produce secure, networked transponders (such as the R6 Secure system) that allow military or law enforcement vessels to use encrypted AIS tracking outside of public, civilian networks.
By merging their AIS, VDES, and GNSS technologies into Teledyne FLIR’s existing ecosystem, their hardware directly communicates with thermal cameras, marine radars, and electronic chart displays (ECDIS) to give captains a complete, safer picture of the water.
A previous collaboration between GMV and FLIR TransponderTech (Saab, at the time) led to the successful development and testing of the ASGARD receiver. This experience provides a good baseline for the ISLET project and consortium.
In the context of the ISLET project, FLIR TransponderTech is involved in the PPP mode (ISLET Receiver-P). They contribute their expertise in maritime applications with a tested solution, providing the physical basis of the system and user interface (CDU).
