Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management completed its 138th consecutive on- or ahead-of-schedule installation of the world's most advanced terminal air traffic control system with activation of its Common Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) at the FAA's facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Terminal Radar Control (TRACON) facility controls over 700,000 operations per year into and out of the Twin Cites of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Minneapolis and St. Paul International Airport is one of the nation's largest hub airports and is home to Northwest and Sun Country Airlines.

The Common ARTS system replaces 30-year-old computers and displays with triple redundant commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors. The new system has 10 times the capacity of the old ARTS IIIA it replaces and can process the inputs from up to 15 radars.

The FAA is installing Common ARTS in the nation's busiest terminal approach control facilities to ensure the continued safe and efficient movement of approximately 14,000,000 flights annually. Common ARTS, which incorporates advanced computer-human interface techniques developed in collaboration with the FAA, is installed at 137 other facilities across the nation.

"Ensuring the reliability and availability of terminal control systems is among the FAA's highest priorities," said Sue Corcoran, vice president of North American Programs for Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management. "Our delivery of 138 Common ARTS systems on or ahead of schedule demonstrates our commitment to the FAA and our sense of partnership in fulfilling its mission of managing the nation's air traffic with safety foremost in mind.

"This is a product that meets every demand placed upon it," Corcoran added. "It's easily upgraded, shares common hardware architecture and employs an open system design. It has all the features the FAA needs to meet the requirements of today's air space system and it provides a platform for the agency's implementation of its latest modernization initiatives."

With headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management has four decades' experience in delivering advanced air traffic management solutions to international customers and focuses on systems integration, engineering design, development, test, delivery and support of Communications, Navigation, Surveillance (CNS/ATM) systems worldwide. A registered ISO 9001 company, Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management employs approximately 1,300 people at major facilities in Rockville, Maryland, Eagan, Minnesota, Atlantic City, New Jersey and Southampton, England.

Lockheed Martin, with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services.

For additional information, visit the website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management