Semtech, Ripl to Develop Ship Tracking System for Pentagon

Camarillo semiconductor developer Semtech Corp. and Ripl Networks have been selected by the U.S. Defense Department to deploy a tracking product for foreign guest and fleet ships at naval ports.The Port of Hueneme, the only deep-water harbor between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, will be the first Pentagon deployment of the tracking system.Semtech will provide its long-range, low power, or LoRa, technology to Ripl for use in the Lake Forest-based company’s messaging system called MLMesh. The combined technology enables low-power devices to talk Internet Protocol at long distances while accurately tracking 3D locations without GPS or cellular towers, Semtech said in a release.MLMesh enables impromptu networking for instant Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, with or without Internet connectivity, bypassing the need for third party towers, gateways and service fees.Marc Pegulu, vice president of IoT product marketing for Semtech’s wireless and sensing products group, said the company’s LoRa platform allows for rapid and scalable deployment of military-grade applications, such as Ripl’s tracking system.“We are pleased to assist the U.S. Department of Defense in its efforts to monitor and secure critical American assets,” Pegulu said in a statement.Shares of Semtech (SMTC) closed Thursday up $1.50, or 2.2 percent, to $69.40 on the Nasdaq on day when that market closed up at less than 1 percent.