U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $17 Million Contract For MK 41 Vertical Launching System

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The U.S. Navy recently awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $17 million contract to provide engineering design services for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) on the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.

The cost-plus-fixed fee contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy and eight Allied navies under the Foreign Military Sales program. Included in the work is missile integration, software development, integration of VLS into new ships, technical refresh, systems engineering and life cycle support for MK 41 VLS.

“The MK 41 is the most proven below-deck, multi-mission launching system in the world,” said Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Ship and Aviation Systems business. “Working closely with the U.S. Navy, we have led the system design team and have been delivering, modernizing and supporting the MK 41 VLS system for more than 30 years. Its capability is second to none.”

The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $104 million over four years. The work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s locations in Baltimore, MD and Ventura, CA.

The multi-missile MK 41 launcher has revolutionized the way world navies think about sea-launched weapons, providing the capabilities to respond to numerous naval warfare threats including anti-air, anti-submarine, ship self-defense, land attack and ballistic missile defense. More than 12,000 MK 41 VLS missile cells have been delivered or are on order.  MK VLS systems are either in service or on order by 12 navies around the world for 186 ships in 19 different classes.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

Lockheed Martin Cryostat To Fly On NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer Mission

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) – scheduled for launch on Dec. 11, 2009 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. – will scan the entire sky in infrared light, picking up the glow of hundreds of millions of objects and producing millions of images. Two Thermos-like annular tanks filled with solid hydrogen, called a dual-stage cryostat, built by the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company [NYSE: LMT] Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Palo Alto, will keep the mission's sensitive infrared telescope and detectors chilled to near absolute zero. Expected to last about 10 months, the solid hydrogen cryostat will cool the WISE focal plane to 7.6 Kelvin (minus 446 Fahrenheit) and the optics to 12 Kelvin (minus 438 degrees Fahrenheit).

“After years of effort, it is very satisfying to finally reach the milestone of launch,” said Iran Spradley, Senior Manager of the Thermal Sciences Department at the ATC. “We look forward with anticipation to the many discoveries that WISE is sure to make, and are enormously pleased to have played a role in this very important mission.”

“Being a part of the WISE mission will always be a highlight in my career,” said Larry Naes, recently retired Lockheed Martin WISE cryostat program manager. “From the very beginning of the program, our colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory assembled the best of the best to implement this mission, with a singular team focus to optimize the science and produce data that will contribute greatly to our understanding of the infrared universe.”

The WISE mission will build on the heritage of NASA's very successful Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) launched in 1983. WISE, however, will have hundreds of times greater sensitivity and will uncover objects never before seen, including the coolest stars and the most luminous galaxies in the universe. The vast catalogs of infrared objects generated by WISE will help answer fundamental questions about the origins of planets, stars and galaxies, and provide astronomers a treasure trove of data that will be accessed for decades.

It is near-Earth objects, both asteroids and comets with orbits that come close to crossing Earth’s path that will be the closest of WISE's discoveries. It is expected that WISE will find hundreds of these, and hundreds of thousands of additional asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. By measuring the objects’ infrared light, astronomers will get the first good estimate of the size distribution of the asteroid population. This information will reveal approximately how often Earth can expect an encounter with a potentially hazardous asteroid.

WISE will orbit Earth at an altitude of 326 miles, circling pole to pole about 15 times each day. A scan mirror within the WISE instrument will stabilize the line of sight so that snapshots can be taken every 11 seconds over the entire sky. Each position on the sky will be imaged a minimum of eight times, and some areas near the poles will be imaged more than 1,000 times. About 7,500 images will be taken every day at four different infrared wavelengths.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The mission’s principal investigator, Edward L. (Ned) Wright, is at UCLA. The mission was competitively selected in 2002 under NASA's Explorers Program managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory, Logan, Utah, and the spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp, Boulder, Colo. Science operations and data processing will take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The mission’s education and public outreach office is based at the University of California, Berkeley.

The ATC is the research and development organization of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC). LMSSC, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs and develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security and military, civil government and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Receives Trident II D5 Missile System Production And Support Contract

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The U.S. Navy is awarding Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a contract with a value not to exceed $851 million for production and deployed system support for the Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program for fiscal year 2010. 

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin is providing D5 missile hardware production support and reentry system hardware, as well as operations and maintenance to support the readiness and reliability of missile systems deployed aboard the Navy’s Trident II OHIO-class submarines.  The contract also continues the D5 Life Extension effort, which updates selected electronic components to support the extended service life of the Navy's OHIO-class submarines.  

“Under the leadership of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Program, the Fleet Ballistic Missile program sets the standard for partnership, disciplined performance and continual improvement,” said Melanie A. Sloane, vice president of Fleet Ballistic Missile programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.  “We are dedicated to supporting the Navy as it continues to raise the bar on this critically important program.”  

First deployed in 1990, the D5 missile is currently aboard OHIO-class submarines and British VANGUARD-class submarines.  Lockheed Martin completed D5 missile deliveries for the U.S. inventory objective in 2007.  The three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile can travel a nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carries multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles. 

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the prime contractor and program manager for the U.S. Navy’s Trident missile.  Approximately 2,400 Lockheed Martin Space Systems employees, principally in California, Georgia, Florida, Washington, Utah and Virginia, support the design, development, production, test and operation of the Trident Strategic Weapon System.  Lockheed Martin Space Systems has been the Navy’s prime strategic missile contractor since the inception of the program more than 50 years ago. 

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.  The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion

Lockheed Martin And MIT Announce $5 Million Research Partnership Focused On Energy And Climate Change

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Five-Year, $5-Million Partnership to Foster a Clean, Sustainable, Secure Energy Future

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and MIT announced a major research partnership to transform how the world combats climate change and produces and consumes energy. The centerpiece of the collaboration will focus on global climate initiatives, such as carbon modeling and verification and utility-scale energy storage.

With an investment of $5 million over five years, Lockheed Martin has become a Sustaining Member of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), supporting a portfolio of diverse, high-impact energy research projects and education at the Institute. Lockheed Martin will direct a majority of its annual contribution to targeted research projects in the areas of climate change, alternative energies, as well as energy storage and management.

"As a global security company, we recognize the economic and strategic challenges posed by a dependence on foreign oil, the potential destabilizing effect of global climate change, and the vulnerability of our nation's aging power grid," said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Lockheed Martin. "This investment provides opportunities for industry and academia to partner to develop clean, secure, and smart energy – supporting national security, a strong economic future, and climate protection for future generations."

"This new partnership with Lockheed Martin promises significant progress in how the world produces and consumes energy. We appreciate the company's confidence in MIT faculty and researchers, and look forward to working together to help meet the world’s pressing energy challenges," said MIT President Susan Hockfield.

In addition to the focused, collaborative research, Lockheed Martin will also support MITEI's Energy Research Seed Fund program to support innovative early-stage research projects addressing energy and related environmental issues. In addition, the Corporation will support two Energy Fellows at the Institute for each year of its five-year commitment.

Lockheed Martin is working with its customers to address the nation’s energy and climate challenges in the areas of energy efficiency, management, next-generation alternative energy generation, and climate monitoring. The Corporation provides a full range of energy solutions to the government and regulated industry, including the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, state and regional energy organizations, utilities, and businesses.

MITEI was established to mobilize MIT's capabilities to help meet the world's pressing energy challenges and builds on the Institute's outstanding capabilities and lengthy history of providing real-world solutions to difficult societal problems. MITEI is designed to accelerate innovation in energy science, technology, and policy through the integrated application of the Institute's cutting-edge capabilities in science, engineering, management, planning and policy.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Successfully Launches Intelsat 14 Spacecraft

Monday, November 23, 2009

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) this morning successfully delivered a commercial telecommunications satellite for Intelsat, the leading provider of fixed satellite services, into orbit aboard an Atlas V booster provided by United Launch Alliance.

The Intelsat 14 (IS-14) spacecraft, built by Space Systems/Loral, will provide high-powered video and data services through its C-band and Ku-band payload to Intelsat customers throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa. IS-14 is also part of an 11-satellite replenishment campaign and will replace Intelsat’s 1R satellite once it enters service at the 315 degrees east longitude orbital location.
The spacecraft also carries a hosted payload for the Internet Router in Space, or IRIS program, for Cisco Systems.

“Intelsat chose Atlas V because of its reliability and its credibility in the marketplace,” said David Markham, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. “This successful launch and orbital insertion further demonstrates the flexibility and capabilities of Atlas that can be applied to the marketplace as we continue to seek one to two commercial orders per year.”

Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet service providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services.

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, which markets the Atlas V to commercial customers worldwide, is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, which is a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems Company designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Receives $17.8 Million Contract Award for A-10 Software Upgrade

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $17.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for a software upgrade that integrates critical communications and situational awareness capabilities into the A-10C close air support fighter.

The software upgrade will provide improved pilot vehicle interface and enhanced weapons delivery. Also included with the upgrade are software baselines for the helmet-mounted cueing system that increase situational awareness through improved visual cues for the pilot, and the lightweight airborne recovery system that integrates search and rescue capability.

“This software upgrade is another critical achievement in the continued modernization of a proven weapon system. Armed with these latest enhancements, A-10C pilots can more quickly access the information they need to prevail on the battlefield,” said Roger Il Grande, A-10 program director at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY.

The software upgrade is the third in an annual series planned for the A-10 and is scheduled for release in May 2011. The earlier two upgrades were also performed by Lockheed Martin; the first was fielded on schedule in May 2009 and the second is on target for release in May 2010.

The upgrades will be integrated in Lockheed Martin’s A-10 Systems Integration Lab in Owego, NY. The lab is used by engineers and pilots to prototype software and hardware upgrades for operational validity before flight, to fully integrate aircraft avionics modifications to reduce development risk and cost, and to aid in pilot and maintainer familiarization of newly-deployed systems. Lockheed Martin leads an A-10 industry team that includes Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX and Northrop Grumman, St. Augustine, FL.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin Tests Carbon Nanotube-Based Memory Devices

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A radiation-resistant version of NRAM™ carbon-nanotube-based memory, developed jointly by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Nantero, was tested on a recent Space Shuttle mission. The NRAM™ was incorporated by NASA into special autonomous testing configurations installed into a carrier at the aft end of the payload bay. It was launched into space as part of STS-125, the May 2009 mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis that successfully serviced the Hubble Space Telescope. The project was managed by Dan Powell, Chief Nanotechnologist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

“Lockheed Martin is a leader in the research, development and application of nanotechnology to future government applications," said Dr. Jim Ryder, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto. "This demonstration of carbon-nanotube-based semiconductor devices in the rigorous conditions of space is an important step towards a whole new suite of future applications.”
The experiment was a proof-of-concept that enabled the testing of launch and re-entry survivability, as well as basic functionality of the carbon nanotube switches on orbit throughout the shuttle mission. The NRAM™ devices were early prototype parts, and performed the same before, during, and after completion of the mission. This mission represents an important first step in the development of high-density, non-volatile, carbon-nanotube-based memories for spaceflight applications. Lockheed Martin and NASA are working on plans for future NRAM™ flights.

Carbon nanotubes are tiny cylindrical carbon molecules just 1/50,000th the diameter of a human hair that possess unique electrical and structural properties. The word nanotube is, of course, from nanometer (10-9 meters or approximately 10 carbon atoms) and tubular (the shape of a rolled up sheet of graphene that forms a carbon nanotube). Carbon nanotubes are half the density of aluminum, 50 times stronger than steel, thermally stable in vacuum up to nearly 3,000 degrees Centigrade, efficient conductors of heat and may be either metallic or direct bandgap semiconductors.

Thomas Rueckes, Nantero’s Co-founder and CTO, said, “We are proud of the success of our NRAM memory devices in even the harshest of conditions, and honored for being selected by NASA for this mission.”

Dan Powell of GSFC, said “Carbon nanotubes have tremendous potential for a wide range of future space-based applications, and we couldn’t be happier for the success of this experiment.”

Lockheed Martin recognizes the critical importance of nanotechnology to its current and future portfolio of products and services. Direct benefits of nanotechnology for government customers could include stronger, lighter and less expensive materials; more capable systems; and enhanced personal protection for military and first responders. Through partnerships with small businesses and universities, Lockheed Martin is leveraging its own investment in nanotechnology to develop innovative solutions for the most demanding technological challenges. Lockheed Martin Nanosystems is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

Nantero is a nanotechnology company using carbon nanotubes for the development of next-generation semiconductor devices. Nantero’s main focus is the development of NRAM™. Nantero is also working with licensees on the development of additional applications of Nantero’s core nanotube-based technology. Lockheed Martin holds an exclusive license arrangement with Nantero for government applications of Nantero’s extensive intellectual property portfolio.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Note: Lockheed Martin Safe Harbor Statement / Forward-Looking Statements:

Some of the statements contained in this press release may be considered "forward-looking statements" under the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the risk that the transaction may close later than expected or not at all and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Lockheed Martin Corporation's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this release is as of November 18, 2009. Lockheed Martin disclaims any duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in expectations.

Leading Technology Users and Providers to Form DASH7™ Alliance to Advance Wireless Data Technology

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Michelin, Lockheed Martin’s Savi Technology, Texas Instruments and others are forming the DASH7™ Alliance, a cross-industry initiative to expand the use of a wireless data technology commonly used in the global defense industry but increasingly used by commercial customers. The U.S. Department of Energy and three of its laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as the University of Pittsburgh plan to serve as technical advisors.

The technology, based on the ISO 18000-7 standard, provides commercial and government users with the ability to track the whereabouts and status of a wide range of everyday objects, including vehicles, shipping containers, pharmaceutical products, hazardous materials, perishable goods and manufacturing and operational equipment.

The DASH7 Alliance will work to ensure cross-vendor interoperability as well as to promote greater use of the ISO 18000-7 wireless data standard, which is more cost effective, more reliable, and operates at lower power levels than ZigBee and similar wireless data technologies. The DASH7 Alliance will also foster new wireless data innovations based on the standard, including advanced sensor networking, electronic seals, mobile phone integration, and other advances enabled through upcoming DASH7 developer resources available at DASH7 web site.

“The DASH7 Alliance is an important next step for the wireless industry as DASH7-ready products become more ubiquitous,” said David Stephens, CEO of Savi Technology. “By assembling this coalition of both end users and technology companies, we can promote greater interoperability and reliability, but also inspire greater innovation around a common standard.”

“As United States companies grow RFID technologies from their infancy into an industry, it is incredibly important to set a common standard for how all of these new applications are going to be designed and built,” said Dr. James Shuler, Manager of the United States Department of Energy’s Packaging Certification Program.

Commenting on the U.S. Department of Defense’s move to an RFID III multi-vendor contract earlier this year, Lt. Col. Pat Burden, the DoD’s Product Manager Joint-Automatic Identification Technology, stated, “This is a significant milestone for DoD in that this migration will not only give DoD and other Federal agencies’ customers best-value solutions at competitive prices, but it moves us to ISO 18000-7:2008 compliant products, thus broadening interoperability with DoD and our coalition partners.”

“In ABI’s opinion, the DASH7 Alliance is both timely and mission critical to growing the active UHF segment of the RFID market,” Michael Liard, Practice Director, RFID, of ABI Research, said in a just-released report entitled, “Introducing the DASH7 Alliance: Bringing Balance and Vision to Active RFID Markets.”

“The DASH7 Alliance will bring stakeholders together to share and discuss ISO 18000-7 technical issues such as advancing the standard on a global scale, identify and eliminate potential gray areas, and share information about wins and pitfalls,” the ABI report stated. “The Alliance will also work to build applications on top of the core standard, including electronic seals, RTLS, sensing and monitoring, long distance communication, and more.”

Semiconductor manufacturers STMicroelectronics and Analog Devices plan to provide hardware developer toolkits that enable product innovations and enhance interoperability, and Texas Instruments also plans to be a DASH7 participant. The United States Department of Energy and three of its national laboratories, as well as the University of Pittsburgh, will provide technical advisory services for appropriate consultation and input, within their areas of expertise.

The University of Pittsburgh also plans to serve as the initial test and certification lab for DASH7-enabled products. After successfully completing DASH7 test and certification, alliance members will be able to deploy the “DASH7 Certified” logo on their products to demonstrate reliability and interoperability to prospective end users.

About the DASH7 Alliance

The DASH7 Alliance is a coalition of organizations from multiple industries that are committed to collaborating on the promotion of wireless data technologies based on the ISO 18000-7 standard. Organizations initially planning to participate include Analog Devices, Dow, Evigia Systems, Hi-G-Tek, IDENTEC SOLUTIONS, KPC, Inc., Lockheed Martin, Michelin, Northrop Grumman, RFind, Savi Technology, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, and Unisys Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy and three of its laboratories, the Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as the University of Pittsburgh, plan to serve as technical advisors.

Lockheed Martin Unveils Exoskeleton Technology

Friday, February 27, 2009

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] debuted an advanced robotic exoskeleton designed to augment Soldiers’ strength and endurance and prevent their premature fatigue.

The Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC™) exoskeleton, introduced at the Association of the United States’ Army Winter Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, FL, will meet future mobility and sustainment needs of Warfighters by providing strength and survivability. Under an exclusive licensing agreement with Berkeley BionicsTM, a world leader in exoskeleton technologies, Lockheed Martin will advance the development of the HULC design to provide Soldiers a powerful advantage in ground operations.

“With our enhancements to the HULC system, Soldiers will be able to carry loads up to 200 pounds with minimal effort,” said Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Lockheed Martin is developing an entire line of ground Soldier technologies that will improve Warfighters’ ability to effectively complete their missions.”

Dismounted Soldiers often carry heavy combat loads that increase stress on the body, leading to injuries and exhaustion. HULC transfers the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. HULC’s completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minor exertion.

Lockheed Martin’s advanced technology systems will now include ground Soldier solutions such as wearable situational awareness equipment and mobility assistance systems. Additional technological advancements will focus on specific user needs and performance requirements. Lockheed Martin is also exploring exoskeleton designs to support industrial and medical applications.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Lockheed Martin’s VUIT-2 Delivers Video Network Capability in Theater

Monday, February 23, 2009

Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Video from Unmanned Aerial Systems for Interoperability Teaming – Level 2 (VUITTM-2) for Apache technology recently began operational use in theater. The VUIT-2 system advanced from design to production in less than seven months to accommodate a rapid fielding request from the U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff.

“VUIT-2 has proven its worth in combat operations,” said Col. Eric Peterson, brigade commander of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB). The 1-10 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB), a component of the 10th CAB, was the first VUIT-2-equipped unit and deployed with the system in late 2008.

VUIT-2 provides Apache aircrews with real-time streaming battlefield video and metadata from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on cockpit multi-purpose displays, enhancing situational awareness, providing real-time intelligence validation, reducing the sensor-to-shooter timeline and improving effectiveness against time-critical targets.

“Joint UAS – Apache operations have been very successful using VUIT-2,” said Lt. Col. Robert Johnston, U.S. Army Product Manager Longbow Apache. “VUIT-2 allows the pilot to stream M-TADS imagery to Stryker vehicles on combat patrols. The Apache’s real-time video informs the ground forces of potential danger zones, giving them an opportunity to plan alternate, safer routes.”

“The rapid fielding of the 1-10 ARB resulted from a dedicated team of PM Apache, PM UAS, AATD [Aviation Applied Technology Directorate] and Lockheed Martin personnel, primarily focused on deploying this critical capability to the Warfighter,” said Bob Gunning, vice president of Apache Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Equipped with Apache VUIT-2, aircrews can identify threats sooner and engage targets faster.”

VUIT-2 can transmit both Apache and UAS video, via a mini-tactical common data link, to Soldiers on the ground equipped with One System Remote Video Terminals, allowing for faster confirmation and positive target identification. Once accurately confirmed, Apache aircrews can engage targets with precision missiles or other weapon systems. The VUIT-2 kit-based system is also compatible with multiple aviation platforms. The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $9.3 million contract for Phase 2 nonrecurring engineering in December 2008.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.