The upgraded McMurdo FastFind 220 and Kannad SafeLink Solo Personal Location Beacons. (Photo: Orolia)

Orolia’s McMurdo FastFind 220 and Kannad SafeLink Solo personal location beacons (PLB) now operate with the Galileo GNSS system.

The PLBs are the first of a series of new solutions coming from the European Union-funded Helios project, led by Orolia, which has been set up to leverage the power of the new satellite system.

With Galileo, the upgraded multi-constellation PLB receivers offer increased global coverage and support accelerated rescue missions. Location detection is enhanced and can be more precise as the PBLs receive coordinates from the Galileo satellite network in addition to GPS. Signals can even be detected in high-sided locations, such as canyons.

“We are thrilled to be launching our upgraded PLBs in the European and U.S. markets,” said Chris Loizou, vice president of maritime at Orolia. “The combination of both Galileo and GPS GNSS capability means that our customers will benefit from coverage that spans from the North to the South Pole. We work tirelessly to push the boundaries of product innovation and, ultimately, to give people the best chance of being rescued in an emergency situation.”

The McMurdo FastFind and Kannad SafeLink PLBs are part of Orolia’s comprehensive search-and-rescue ecosystem and join the McMurdo SmartFind G8 and Kannad SafePro series EPIRBs as Galileo-capable rescue beacons.