Lockheed Martin has been awarded $9.4 million to enter the second phase of a development agreement by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army for the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) program. The award will fund the preliminary design phase of the unmanned air vehicle program.

The goal of the joint DARPA-Army program is to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility and operational value for a UCAR system to perform armed reconnaissance and attack missions within the emerging Army Objective Force system-of-systems architecture.

Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor for one of the four teams selected to complete the initial 12-month concept development and trade study phase beginning in May 2002. Two of the original four teams were awarded contracts to enter Phase II to complete a preliminary design of a demonstration system.

"The Lockheed Martin team is well positioned for the preliminary design phase of this competition because of our system-of-systems approach and industry-leading capabilities in systems integration, including command and control, autonomous operations, sensors, weapons, targeting and survivability technologies," said Jeff Bantle, vice president of Multi-Mission Solutions.

The Lockheed Martin team includes Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX; The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA; and Whitney, Bradley and Brown, Vienna, VA. Lockheed Martin business units involved in the UCAR program include Systems Integration Owego in New York; Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, FL; Advanced Technology Laboratories, Cherry Hill, NJ; and the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Palmdale, CA.

"The team is committed to continue the successful collaboration we started in Phase I and to build upon each team member's strengths during the critical preliminary design phase of the UCAR program," Bantle said. "Our goal is to develop the 'best-value' autonomous unmanned combat armed rotorcraft that will fulfill the U.S. Army's Objective Force requirements for the 21st Century."

Lockheed Martin System Integration - Owego is a leader in providing advanced technology products, services and systems integration solutions for defense, civil and commercial customers worldwide. Based in Owego, NY, the Lockheed Martin business segment operates key facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin