RICHMOND, BC—MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a provider of essential information solutions, announced today that it has signed a contract with the Department of Public Works and Government Services to provide the Department of National Defence (DND) an Arctic Surveillance Operator in support of the development of the Arctic Surveillance (Land) capability of DND's Polar Epsilon Project. The period of the contract is one year, with the option to extend the contract five additional one-year periods. The Arctic Surveillance Operator will work on-site with DND to develop applications and surveillance strategies from information provided by the RADARSAT-2 satellite to effectively monitor vast regions.

RADARSAT-2 is the prime sensor used in the Polar Epsilon Project for all weather surveillance of Canada's Arctic and its ocean approaches. The unique combination of RADARSAT-2 imagery and MDA's Image Analyst expertise will contribute to the Government of Canada's commitment to protect Canada's sovereignty in the North.

Dr. John Hornsby, president of MDA's Geospatial Services business (MDA GSI) said, 'The increasing importance of the Canadian North demands that Canada establish capabilities to monitor Arctic activity. MDA GSI has both the tools and the expertise to help fulfill this important and challenging government mandate. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work in close collaboration with DND to provide Canada with a unique capability to monitor this critical region.'

For further information about the Polar Epsilon Project, please see the backgrounder, available on the DND website at: www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2931

About RADARSAT-2
Launched in 2007, RADARSAT-2 is the world's most advanced commercial C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, collecting global geospatial imagery through cloud cover and darkness. RADARSAT-2 offers more than 50 imaging modes, multiple polarimetric options and a massive data collection capacity with a faster turn-around schedule for data acquisition and product delivery. It provides enhanced information for applications such as environmental monitoring, ice mapping, resource mapping, disaster management, and marine surveillance. RADARSAT-2's information-rich data supports a wide user base: geospatial intelligence, oil, gas and mining, defense, maritime surveillance, and mapping.

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