Lockheed Martin has achieved government acceptance of Build 1 for the new system that will control air traffic over the U.S. oceanic airspace. The Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) system will replace the FAA's existing systems and procedures that are responsible for separation of aircraft over the oceans, enabling controllers to reduce spacing between aircraft flying while preserving passenger safety and improving efficiency.

The ATOP system will manage approximately 80 percent of the world's controlled oceanic airspace, which includes approximately 24 million square miles over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. New capabilities offered by the initial phase of the advanced ATOP system will increase capacity for international air travel and automate the manual processes used today.

"The ATOP system, with its sophisticated automation technology, will provide much needed increased efficiency and oceanic airspace capacity to meet growing international air traffic," said Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions. "This key achievement is the cornerstone in the journey to modernize oceanic air traffic control."

The next step of the program will be to integrate ATOP with the Radar Processing functions from the Lockheed Martin-developed Microprocessor Enroute Automated Radar Tracking System (Micro-EARTS). This enhancement will support tracking of aircraft utilizing primary and secondary radar inputs and automatic dependent surveillance -- broadcast (ADS-B).

Lockheed Martin is currently upgrading the FAA oceanic air traffic management systems in Oakland and New York to support testing and training of controllers and technicians. The company is also in the process of installing the ATOP system hardware in Anchorage. Site acceptance testing in Oakland, New York and Anchorage is scheduled in time for the agency's commitment for reduced airspace separations in 2005.

Supporting Lockheed Martin on the ATOP program are Adacel Inc., supplier of the oceanic automation software; Airways Corporation of New Zealand, the first company to apply communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) technology developed specifically for the oceanic environment; and Sunhillo Corporation, provider of the External Communications Server (ECS), which provides access to external data interfaces.

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.

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

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin