Edinburgh / Neuss – SELEX Galileo and SELEX Systems Integration GmbH (a subsidiary of SELEX Sistemi Integrati SpA, Italy) both Finmeccanica companies, have received a contract to provide SELEX Galileo’s Nexsense C hand-held chemical detectors for use by the Fire Brigade of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

The contract is the first order for the Nexsense C. The sensor, a prototype of which was assessed by the Fire Brigade Institute prior to the contract award, is being delivered as part of the NRW Fire Brigade’s new NBC vehicle. The contract was placed by SELEX Systems Integration GmbH who is marketing Nexsense C in the German marketplace and will provide local service to the customer. The units will be delivered to Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) in Kassel, Germany, who is the systems integrator for the NBC vehicle.

Nexsense C provides fast and reliable chemical detection, identification and monitoring capabilities in a portable unit. The sensor will be used by first responders at chemical plant and refinery fires to determine if there are potentially threatening toxic industrial chemicals in the atmosphere.

The first Nexsense C units will be delivered from December 2011 and will be integrated into the vehicles for active service starting in June 2012.

Alastair Morrison, SVP Radar and Advanced Targeting, said “We’re extremely pleased to announce this contract, which is a result of close co-operation between our customer and our industry partners and demonstrates the benefits of Finmeccanica companies working together with a common aim. The Nexsense C chemical detector is just one of the advanced products we can offer to non-military forces and we hope to work increasingly with civil and homeland security services in the future. We expect further significant orders from Nexsense C over the coming years.”

Nexsense C is part of SELEX Galileo’s offering for Force Protection and situational awareness which will be presented at this year’s DSEi.

The Nexsense C sensor incorporates Owlstone Ltd’s FAIMS sensor technology. It is the world’s first radiation free, UH-FAIMS (Ultra High Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry) system as a compact, hand-held device. The sensor will be able to detect and identify 26 different chemicals defined by the Fire Brigade Institute in NRW.

Company or Organisation Portrait:

SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, is a leading player in defence electronics. The Company employs over 7000 people and operates mainly in three domestic markets: UK, Italy and the US through dedicated legal entities. With a distinctive strength in airborne mission critical systems, and a wide range of capabilities for the battlefield and for homeland security applications, SELEX Galileo is always offering the best solution to its customers.

SELEX Systems Integration GmbH, is the German subsidiary of SELEX Sistemi Integrati SpA, Italy, a Finmeccanica company. With over 4500 people SELEX Sistemi Integrati designs and develops Large Systems for Homeland Protection, systems and radar for air defence, battlefield management, naval warfare, air traffic management and control, coastal and maritime surveillance.