Lockheed Martin and Romania's Ministerul Agriculturii, Padurilor, Apelor si Mediului (MAPAM) announced that Lockheed Martin has been selected to provide a hydrological forecast system to Romania to help the country guard against the effects of severe flooding. The $46 million program, called DESWAT, short for "DESstructive WATers," will be integrated with Romania's National Integrated Meteorological System (SIMIN), also developed by Lockheed Martin and due to be commissioned later this month.

"Romania is susceptible to extreme flooding throughout the year due to high annual rainfall and its network of rivers and widely varied terrain," said Secretary of State Florin Stadiu. "Together, the SIMIN and DESWAT systems will, without doubt, help us in our efforts to alert our citizens and reduce property damage."

Lockheed Martin will install as many as 600 hydrological sensor stations throughout the 11 river basins in Romania. This hydrological data, along with the SIMIN meteorological information, will be forwarded to the National Hydrological Services (NHSv) Office in Bucharest for analysis and integration with the DESWAT hydrological models. The NHSv is responsible for identifying phenomena, which potentially could develop into a flood, and issuing hydrological warnings and alerts to the authorities charged with flood defense in Romania.

"DESWAT will provide us with the capability needed to issue more accurate and timely forecasts, which is especially important when we have severe weather events that can cause severe flooding," said General Manager Ovidiu Gabor of the customer organization, Apele Romane. "The hydrological models and sensors that make up DESWAT are extremely important enhancements to our present systems."

"The radar systems provided in SIMIN can detect where, and how much, rain will fall in a given area," explained Tom Patello, Lockheed Martin's SIMIN and DESWAT program manager. "The DESWAT system will be key to determining the validity of these precipitation estimates in real-time and will provide a measurable improvement in the diagnosis of severe hydrological events, such as flooding. The forecasting and tracking systems we are developing will help the Romanian government improve the quality of life for its citizens. Through the practical application of advanced technology, Lockheed Martin is delighted to work in partnership with Romania on this important program."

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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors