Digital Angel’s SARBE Unit Receives Approval from COSPAS-SARSAT for Its Advanced Aircrew Personal Locator Beacon

22 July 2008

Digital Angel has received COSPAS-SARSAT type approval for its SARBE Advanced Aircrew Personal Locator Beacon (AAPLB). COSPAS-SARSAT is a satellite system designed to provide distress, alert and location data to assist search and rescue (SAR) operations, using spacecraft and ground facilities to detect and locate the signals of distress beacons operating on 406 Megahertz (MHz) or 121.5 MHz.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) are standard survival equipment for military aircrews, and are increasingly being used in consumer markets by boaters, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts who frequently travel outside cell phone range. In an emergency they transmit an alert on 406MHz to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite network.

The SARBE AAPLB was developed with joint funding from the United States Air Force (USAF) as a replacement for the soon to be obsolete AN/URT-33 survival radio.

Several companies are in the process of developing similar replacement PLBs for this market. However, SARBE is the first to be able to announce compliance with this stringent, mandated requirement.

Joseph J. Grillo, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Angel, said, “We expect to see strong demand for the AAPLB. It is estimated that worldwide over 15,000 units will be purchased in the next twelve months.”