Harris Corporation's Maritime Technology and Services to Aid New Tsunami Warning System in Mediterranean Sea

MELBOURNE, Fla. and NICOSIA, Cyprus, March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, is providing communications technology, engineering services and operations support for a new offshore sensor system to help detect and provide early warnings of tsunamis in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Harris is supporting CSnet International, Inc., whose CSnet (CYPRUS) Ltd. affiliate is teamed with the Oceanography Centre of Cyprus to develop and deploy a prototype Tsunami Warning and Early Response system for Cyprus (TWERC).  

This system will consist of an array of seismometers and very sensitive pressure sensors installed on several hundred kilometers of seafloor and connected to a Harris OceanNet™ buoy moored about 80 kilometers off the southern coast of Cyprus.  The buoy is one element of the Offshore Communications Backbone (OCB) project that Harris is developing with CSnet.  OCB is a modular, expandable system of seafloor equipment, power, communications and services for long-term, deep-ocean observation.

"This system will not only serve to protect citizens and visitors of Cyprus, but also all those along the entire, densely populated eastern Mediterranean coast, which is a very seismically active region," said Dr. Andrew Clark, president and chief executive officer of CSnet.

Fast-moving tsunamis pose a special threat in the Mediterranean Sea because it is relatively narrow, with a maximum width of only 1,600 kilometers.  By comparison, the Pacific Ocean is so large a tsunami traveling at speeds greater than 750 kilometers an hour can still allow for hours of warning.  A tsunami originating at the center of the Mediterranean Sea would arrive on shore within an hour, making real-time monitoring and warning essential.

"Harris developed and has successfully operated an OceanNet™ buoy in the eastern Mediterranean to provide oceanographic data for this region since 2004," said Rick Simonian, president of Harris Maritime Communications Services.  "Adding tsunami warning sensors to the more comprehensive OCB system is a natural extension of this unique service offering."

The warning and early response system will incorporate proven tsunami detection techniques, as well as new approaches under evaluation by CSnet to develop a highly reliable, yet cost-effective, system that can benefit developing regions, which are most vulnerable to tsunamis.

"The system will include not only the offshore technology, but also capacity building on shore, including public education and outreach," said Dr. Georgious Georgiou, director of the Oceanography Centre of Cyprus and TWERC project leader.  "Detecting the wave is only part of the solution.  Transmitting that warning quickly to a population that knows what to do when they receive it is equally critical."

A high-resolution photograph of a Harris technician preparing to conduct routine maintenance on the OceanNet™ buoy located in the Mediterranean Sea is available at: http://www.harris.com/harris/whats_new/Opening-Main-Hatch-003.jpg

Harris Maritime Communication Services provides worldwide VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal used for two-way satellite communications) systems and managed services for the maritime community, remote land-based installations, and autonomous buoy systems for marine science and environmental monitoring.  Additional information is available at mcs.harris.com.

About CSnet International

CSnet International, Inc. addresses the worldwide need for turnkey design, development, deployment, operation and maintenance of large and complex offshore communication networks.  Additional information about CSnet is available at www.csnetintl.com.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

SOURCE Harris Corporation