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Paradigm Supports UK Troops in Afghanistan - Continuing to Provide Welfare Communications at Remote Locations Worldwide
As part of its commitment to the UK MOD's Project WELCOME, welfare communications programme, Paradigm Secure Communications once again ensures that British troops on active service overseas are provided with the essential connection home.
As soon as it became clear that the UK MOD was deploying troops to Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force, Paradigm immediately began work on assessing and planning the welfare communications services requirement for the British contingent. Many of the troops initially deployed on the military Exercise SAIF SAREEA II have remained in Oman in support of the operation in Afghanistan. As a result they have continued to use the comprehensive satellite communications based telephone and Internet services that were already provided. The forces deploying direct from the UK have been able to re-use the mobile equipment originally supplied for the Exercise in Oman. These services ensured that British troops had a continuous link to family and friends back home, which was particularly important over the Christmas period. The service is clearly welcomed by the troops, with traffic on Christmas Day alone more than double the average daily call rate.
Project WELCOME services in Afghanistan are currently being provided via mobile handsets which access the IRIDIUM satellite network. In today's era of global communications, Paradigm's services are primarily supplied via satellite communications in the first instance. The package is then tailored to match the availability of the local telephone infrastructure to provide the most cost-effective and reliable service possible. Paradigm is exceptionally well equipped to meet the welfare communications needs of the British troops in Afghanistan. This has been demonstrated by its existing provision of welfare communications facilities to over 10,000 troops located in areas such as the Balkans, Italy, Sierra Leone, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and on board Royal Navy vessels.
Paradigm will continue to support the welfare communications requirements of the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan and in operational theatres worldwide.
The WELCOME (WELfare COMmunications Everywhere) contract became the first service contract awarded to Astrium's Paradigm Secure Communications in October 1999. Following the success of the project, the contract was then extended until March 2003. British Armed Forces personnel serving on MOD-defined 'entitled operations' are entitled to 20 minutes of free phone calls every week, credited to Paradigm phone cards. Original entitlement was defined as personnel away from home for more than 4 months, however, in April 2001, this was revised as part of the Operational Welfare Package, to more than 2 months away from home. In recognition of the particular strain of being away from home over the Christmas period, the UK MOD provided all eligible personnel with an additional 20-minute credit over and above the standard entitlement.
Paradigm Secure Communications was formed by Astrium, Europe's largest Space Company, to address the emerging military communications services market and is currently bidding for the UK MOD's Skynet 5 satcom services contract. The Company has recently been awarded its first export contract to provide welfare communications to the Belgian Armed Forces in Kosovo and Macedonia, with service launch having successfully taken place in December 2001.
ASTRIUM is a joint venture owned 75% by EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company and 25% by BAE SYSTEMS. In 2000 Astrium had a combined turnover of 2.03 billion Euros, covering science and Earth observation, military observation and communications, telecommunications, navigation and ground systems, launchers and orbital infrastructure. The Company employs over 8,000 people in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain.
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