Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $16 million contract to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with a two-seat EA-6B operational flight and navigational trainer that extends the capabilities of the aircraft's weapons training system.

The EA-6B Operational Flight and Navigational Trainer employs the crew station, electronic warfare capability, tactical electronic environment, instructor and operator station, database and visual system design being developed for the aircraft's weapons system trainer by Lockheed Martin under a contract awarded in 2000. The new training system will include the pilot and electronics countermeasures officer positions within the crew station, integrated upon a 6-degrees-of-freedom motion platform. Additionally, the navigation radar is correlated to the visual database, allowing operators to experience "real-world" flight.

"Lockheed Martin's systems integration capability to connect dissimilar systems and make them work together is reflected in this project," said Lockheed Martin Information Systems President Daniel J. Crowley. "Designed primarily to provide pilot flight skills and crew coordination for navigation, the EA-6B Operational Flight and Navigational Trainer will include all the capabilities of the aircraft's current weapons system trainer."

All of the EA-6B Improved Capabilities version III platform trainers are linked for aircrew mission rehearsal distributed operations training through high level software architecture. Such an approach to development provides a cost-efficient approach to developing new technologies. Additionally, more than 10 companies have teamed with Lockheed Martin to develop this flight training system, ensuring that access to advancements in technology is spread across the defense simulation and training community.

"Lockheed Martin provides a solid base for the simulation and training industry's small businesses by outsourcing approximately 50 to 60 percent of the work that comes through our systems integration contracts," Crowley said. "No one corporation can be the best in all aspects of production. It is up to the prime contractors to select partners who can give the customer the best possible solution."

The Naval Air Systems Command Training Systems Division awarded the contract delivery order under the Navy's Training Systems Contract. The EA-6B operational flight and navigational trainer will be integrated at the Lockheed Martin's Information Systems facility in Orlando prior to its scheduled delivery in July 2006 to the Navy.

The Naval Air Systems Command Training Systems Division performs a wide range of technical research, development and services to enable sailors, airmen and marines to get the finest training and learning systems available. Approximately 1,000 NAWCTSD employees in Orlando are engaged in developing and acquiring high-tech training systems.

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.

Media Contact: Carlton Caldwell, (407) 306-6861; e-mail, carlton.caldwell@lmco.com

For additional information, visit our website:

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Information Systems