Under this framework agreement, Smith Myers’ ARTEMIS Mobile Phone Detection and Location Systems (MPDLS) will be factory-fitted and offered as a retrofit option across Airbus Helicopters’ fleet of aircraft.
Andrew Munro, managing director of Smith Myers, stated, “This tender and contracting activity was highly rigorous. Being selected by a company of Airbus status, underscores the effectiveness and reliability of our ARTEMIS systems, which are already being installed on a number of Airbus Helicopters now.”
The life-saving Mobile Phone Detection & Location System (MPDLS) will soon be available as a factory-fit option on Airbus helicopters, following a new contract between the aircraft maker and UK tech company Smith Myers.
By homing in on a handset, even in poor weather or at night, ARTEMIS enables crews to locate lost or stranded individuals significantly faster than traditional search methods.
The agreement was jointly announced by Smith Myers execs, MD Andrew Munro at DSEI UK in London and Peter Myers at Airborne Public Safety Association APSCON Europe in Valencia. Under the deal, ARTEMIS will be offered not only on new Airbus helicopters but also as a retrofit upgrade for aircraft already in service. The contract includes provisions for training, simulation, and long-term support—ensuring mission-critical readiness across both defence and public safety fleets.
Artemis Mobile Phone Detection and Location System (MPDLS)
ARTEMIS is designed to be simple for crews to use while delivering precise results in challenging conditions:
- Signal detection – The system searches for active mobile phones within range, even if no network coverage is available.
- Long reach – It can detect phones up to 35 km away, giving helicopters wide-area coverage on each flight.
- Pinpointing location – By calculating the direction and distance of each signal, ARTEMIS guides crews straight to the source.
- Mass mapping – It can identify and map large numbers of phones at once, useful in disaster zones or crowded environments.
- Geofencing – Operators can draw digital boundaries so the system automatically filters and prioritises signals within a rescue area.
About Smith Myers : Smith Myers Communications Ltd was formed in 1987 from the design partnership of Tony Smith and Peter Myers, both previously engaged as freelance design engineers. That same year saw the launch of the first in a series of radically different test and measurement equipment for the new burgeoning cellular radio market. Intuitive and easy to use, the equipment’s simple user interface masked the complexity of cellular radio technology and protocols.
See also |
Smith Myers Airbus Helicopters UK 
