The United States Army has awarded Lockheed Martin Management & Data Systems a $35 million 15-month Component Advanced Development (CAD) contract. The contract award is for the development of the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) system, which precedes full-scale development of the ACS system.

The ACS system is designed to replace both the Army's GUARDRAIL/Common Sensor (GR/CS) and the Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. The ACS is designed to carry multiple intelligence sensors, providing a synergistic system that will be rapidly deployable, can be tailored to the specific needs of the war fighter in the field, and can be scaled to meet the needs of the land force commander. The ACS system is a leading element in the Army's transformation to the objective force of the future.

"We are excited about this opportunity to grow our partnership with the U.S. Army and to continue the development of the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) system," said Vance D. Coffman, chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation . "Our country's recent experiences in Afghanistan and other arenas underscore the critical importance of a persistent and responsive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) presence."

Lockheed Martin was selected to develop the ACS system based on the company's success and expertise in designing and producing systems engineering, system integration, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, including U2, Senior Ruby/Senior Scout, All Source Analysis System (ASAS) Block II as well as classified programs.

Lockheed Martin's ACS activity will be managed out of the Space Systems Company business area headquartered near Denver, Colo. All four Lockheed Martin core business areas will be involved with the work, including Aeronautics in Palmdale, Calif.; Technical Operations in Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Systems Integration in Owego, N.Y. Other team members include Argon Engineering in Fairfax, Va.; Veridian Engineering in Orlando, Fla.; and Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Fla.

Management & Data Systems (http://mds.external.lmco.com/), headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, has been a leader in systems integration, systems engineering, software development and program management in support of vital national systems for more than 30 years. M&DS is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation with approximately 8,200 employees at facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/) is a highly diversified global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses span space and telecommunications, electronics, information and services, aeronautics, energy and systems integration. Employing approximately 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales surpassing $24 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Management & Data Systems