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Satcoms key for Africa Endeavor disaster response exercise

02-09-2010 - A range of Inmarsat services proved key to a multi-national disaster response exercise involving more than 30 African nations.

The second 'Africa Endeavor' (AE) humanitarian and disaster planning event was staged in Accra, Ghana, and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during two weeks in August, and was the first time BGAN and IsatPhone Pro services were demonstrated to participating armed forces and representatives of the African Union.

AE is coordinated by the US Africa Command (USAFRICOM), the US armed forces organisation established to promote democracy and expand, develop and provide common defence in Africa. It tests and strengthens the communications interoperability of African militaries for regional peacekeeping, and humanitarian and disaster relief.

Reliable comms
A range of preparation exercises during the event were devised to develop standard tactics, techniques and procedures.

In its closing report on this year's exercise, USAFRICOM highlighted the successful call via satellite using IsatPhone Pro from the AE site in Accra to the African Union Peace Support Operations Centre in Addis Ababa which "showed AE participants how useful reliable communication between the nations and the African Union is during times of disaster relief".

The Inmarsat Government Services team attended the event and ran a training programme including an introduction to BGAN and IsatPhone Pro. They also tested how the different participants worked together to co-ordinate disaster response by giving them practical experience of potential scenarios.

Inmarsat's government services director for North America and Global Naval Programmes, J.J. Shaw, led the training on BGAN and IsatPhone Pro at the event in Addis Ababa. This was attended by a number of representatives from the African Union.

Ease-of-use
He said: "I was invited to help the African Union establish a Peace Support Operations Centre (PSOC). I provided familiarisation and experience with satellite communications equipment. Inmarsat's services proved to be most reliable."

J.J. delivered training on two TacPaks - backpack communications kits including BGAN terminals which the AU will be able to use in remote locations where terrestrial communications do not work.

Training on Thrane & Thrane Explorer 500 and 700 terminals and IsatPhone Pro proved the ease-of-use and efficient working of the Inmarsat network, says J.J., who added that his USAFRICOM host bemoaned the high outlay on an unused and much more complex VSAT system using Ku-band.

Innovative technology
In Accra, Inmarsat's director of Land Mobile government business development, John Munoz-Atkinson, trained and familiarised armed forces representatives and other first responders with BGAN HNS 9201 and 9350 terminals and also IsatPhone Pro with similar success.

John said: "Our demonstrations gave these disaster preparation exercises mobile satellite connectivity for the first time and the BGAN and IsatPhone Pro equipment worked well. We were able to introduce to the participants a range of innovative satellite technology which fully met their requirements. The ease of use of these systems was well appreciated and embraced."

Inmarsat Government Services

www.africom.mil

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