Lockheed Martin completed key milestones for the U.S. Coast Guard's Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS), enhancing safety in New York Harbor and other major waterways.

The five milestones involved Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) work for the Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of New Orleans, Port of Valdez, AK, Port of Houston and Galveston, and Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

The PAWSS system enables the Coast Guard to pay closer attention to vessels requiring more detailed evaluation through the use of radar, AIS, radio communications, closed circuit television and infrared cameras. Initially designed to support the Coast Guard's maritime safety and environmental protection mission, AIS, which brings the ports up to the most recent standard set by the International Maritime Organization, allows port operators to automatically detect and track vessels equipped with transponders anywhere along the coverage area.

"One of the things we have appreciated about the PAWSS activity is its flexibility. As our requirements for the ports have increased, such as our need to comply with the IMO standard regarding AIS, the system has provided for an easy add-on capability," said Michael Sollosi, U.S. Coast Guard PAWSS program manager. "Even at our sites where VTS installations are complete, there's a built-in flexibility that accommodates the evolving safety and security requirements at U.S. ports."

Lockheed Martin is installing PAWSS in up to 17 ports under an "indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity" contract awarded in 1998, which is currently funded at $44 million.

For the VTS upgrade in New York Harbor, Lockheed Martin completed factory acceptance tests and will begin installing equipment in December. The upgrades are scheduled for completion in summer 2004.

In New Orleans, the first port provided with a new VTS, Lockheed Martin installed AIS, which will cover traffic on the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico. Lockheed Martin completed similar upgrades in Valdez, AK.

In October, Lockheed Martin installed the core VTS and AIS in the Port of Houston and Galveston, and a VTS installation at Sault Ste. Marie, MI, passed its site acceptance test. The VTS in Sault Ste. Marie sits on the St. Mary's River, where there is a set of locks that allows traffic to flow between Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

The remaining ports that will receive installations or upgrades as part of PAWSS are Berwick Bay, LA, Puget Sound in Seattle, WA, Port Arthur, TX, and San Francisco, which are scheduled for completion by April 2005.

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