Team Apache Systems, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) composed of The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin , reached agreement with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and PM Apache, for the Lot 1 production of Arrowhead(TM), the Army's Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system Nov. 11.

The $260 million agreement is for the first 55 Arrowhead systems that will be provided to the U.S. Army and foreign military sales customers, with deliveries beginning in March 2005. The U.S. Army intends to buy 704 Arrowhead systems to outfit its AH-64 Apache fleet by 2009. The first Army unit equipped with Arrowhead will be fielded by June 2005.

"This award culminates three years of engineering development that focused on increasing performance and reliability while reducing support costs," said Bob Gunning, Arrowhead program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Arrowhead ushers in a new era of advanced target acquisition/designation and night vision capabilities for Army Aviation."

Lockheed Martin's Arrowhead provides a new electro-optical targeting and pilotage system to Apache crews that will maximize safe flight in day, night and adverse-weather environments, continuing a 20-year legacy of the Apache's current TADS/PNVS first fielded in 1983. Arrowhead improves performance and reliability while streamlining maintenance from three to two levels, which will save the Army nearly $1 billion in operation and support costs over the life of the system compared to the legacy system.

Arrowhead's forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors -- one for pilotage and one for targeting -- will be a quantum improvement over the legacy TADS/PNVS for night pilotage performance and target acquisition/designation.

Digital data from the pilotage FLIR sensor is displayed in the cockpit and on the pilot's helmet-mounted display, providing a high-resolution TV image. Its advanced processing techniques give pilots the best possible resolution to avoid obstacles such as wires and trees during low-level flight. Arrowhead also has an image-intensified TV camera to aid aircraft pilotage in athermal environments and urban scenarios.

The Arrowhead targeting system has both day and night sensor assemblies. The targeting FLIR sensor has three fields of view, an electronic zoom, an improved target tracker, and auto-boresight. A charge-coupled device camera improves day TV viewing and targeting.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control provides new advanced night vision and targeting sensors for both the U.S. Army (Apache/Comanche) and the Marine Corps (AH-1Z).

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin