New PLB and EPIRB solutions extend Wescom’s portfolio of connected marine safety and survival technology
Wescom Group will use this year’s SMM to showcase a range of new safety and survival products alongside its established portfolio of SOLAS pyrotechnics, marine safety electronics and pharmaceutical solutions, including bespoke medical packages for vessels.
The soon to be available, sMRT SHIELD+ PLB, is the first personal locator beacon on the Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz rescue network to combine global distress alerting with localised recovery through two-way DSC. This provides nearby vessels with an additional distress alert and AIS location information and enables the user to receive an acknowledgement that their distress call has been received.
Building on the expanded global reach and accuracy of the MEOSAR programme and Galileo Return Link Service (RLS), the sMRT SHIELD+ combines the speed of localised rescue capabilities with the reach of the worldwide professional Search and Rescue system coordinated through the 406 MHz network.
Wescom will also preview the sMRT SHIELD+ EPIRB, which is scheduled to become available in early 2027.
The company says the EPIRB will be the first fully compliant IMO MSC.471(101) beacon to integrate DSC, AIS, infrared capability and Galileo Return Link Service (RLS) into a single unit.
