Spire Global announced this week that it was the recipient of a $1.41 million contract from the Government of Canada for automatic identification system (AIS) ship tracking data.

It was almost three years ago that Spire Global acquired Cambridge, Ontario based exactEarth for $204.2 million. At the time exactEarth was the leading AIS data company in Canada and also had an international presence.

Spire Global stated that the new contract was for one year and “includes options for two additional years, extending the total potential contract value to nearly CA $4.23 million.” This is similar to previous contracts the company had received.

The company said in a news release that “under the contract, Spire will share its real-time global ship tracking data, providing unparalleled visibility in both open oceans and high-traffic zones. The Company will also provide historical AIS data as well as its AIS position validation capabilities, which leans on its expertise in radio frequency geolocation to determine the true location of a ship even when its signal is manipulated.”

The data will be used by the Canadian Space Agency, the Department of National Defense, Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and other departments.

John Lusk, general manager of maritime, Spire Global said, “we are proud to continue our partnership with the Government of Canada, providing them with our AIS data services to gain unrivaled coverage of the open ocean and shores. This contract reflects the trust that government agencies worldwide place in our technology and our commitment to delivering reliable, near real-time data that meets their stringent requirements.”