Seimac (Dartmouth, Canada), the manufacturer of Novatech line of specialized Radio Beacons and xenon flashers for oceanographic recovery and warning applications, has launched a new beacon. The new AS-900A beacon provides a truly global alarm capability via satellite for unexpected surfacing of payloads or unexpected deep sea events anywhere in the world. It can be deployed with ocean bottom sensors or on platforms down to 7,300m and remain there for up to two years. Once at the surface the beacon transmits an identification and position message for up to 30 days.

Novatech Radio Beacons, xenon flashers, and Direction Finders are used throughout the oceans of the world in a wide variety of submersible and surface applications. For submersible applications they are attached to underwater equipment such as ROV's (remotely operated vehicles) and scientific equipment. When the equipment returns to the surface the Radio Beacon and Xenon Flasher turn on automatically to provide a radio signal and an intense flashing light to assist in the recovery of the equipment. For surface applications they are used for search and rescue, drift studies, oil spill tracking, equipment location and warning applications.