Lockheed Martin has completed passenger screening checkpoint site surveys at 429 commercial U.S. airports. The site surveys were completed one week ahead of schedule, and construction on upgraded checkpoints is underway at over 100 airports. Under the Strategic Airport Security Rollout contract awarded by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in June, Lockheed Martin is working closely with the TSA to reconfigure passenger screening checkpoints at the nation's airports.

"Ensuring the security of the nation's airports is of critical importance, and this effort directly affects all commercial passengers," said Terry Drabant, president, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. "We look forward to turning over these enhanced security checkpoints to the TSA."

Lockheed Martin began the conversion of passenger screening operations with a site survey and detailed study of airport operations. Lockheed Martin assembled 142 teams that conducted these surveys at airports to examine security processes, passenger traffic flow and other challenges faced by the airports in meeting new federal requirements. The teams, based on the site survey outcomes, recommended the number of checkpoint lanes for conversion, assessed equipment to be upgraded and suggested other physical changes needed at the airports.

Based on the site survey, redesigns of the security checkpoint are being created and implemented in consultation with local airport partners and federal security directors. The federal security directors provide day-to-day operational leadership for the federal security responsibilities at U.S. airports. Before construction begins, the TSA reviews and approves the designs. Passenger screening lanes at security checkpoints inside airports are being reconfigured; if needed, screening equipment, such as metal detectors, x-ray machines and hand wands are being upgraded or replaced.

Over the last three months as a Lockheed Martin team has completed a survey, it has immediately moved onto the design and construction phase for that airport. As a result of this coordinated approach, over 150 checkpoints have approved redesigns, over 130 have started construction, and five are substantially completed. These four airports are in addition to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), which served as the pilot airport for the checkpoint security upgrades.

In addition to the passenger screening lane conversion, Lockheed Martin also provides logistics and orientation support for newly hired government screening personnel.

Lockheed Martin teammates on the contract include KPMG Consulting, a leading business consulting and systems integration firm, and Parsons Corporation, an industry-recognized expert in aviation facility construction.

As the leading technology solutions provider and integrator to the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin focuses on the defense, information technology and homeland security requirements of the military services and civil agencies. The Corporation's advanced technology solutions draw on world-class capabilities in systems engineering and integration, complex project management, software development and information technology. These align with emerging homeland security requirements for enhanced command and control, threat information alert and exchange, border control, critical infrastructure protection and emergency management and incident response. The Corporation is headquartered in Bethesda, Md.

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems provides solutions in systems integration, program management, software development, and information security for a variety of customers including U.S. and international defense and civil government agencies. Mission Systems employs approximately 3,000 at primary facilities in Gaithersburg, Colorado Springs, Colo., Santa Maria, Calif., and is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

   For additional information on Lockheed Martin Mission Systems visit:
               http://www.lockheedmartin.com/missionsystems

     For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation visit:
                      http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin