The Lockheed Martin Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) development team is strengthening its technical diversity and communication systems capabilities by adding Harris Corporation and DRS Technologies, Inc. .

"The addition of Harris and DRS Technologies further supports our team's system-of-systems strategies and better positions us to provide a superior UCAR design that is closely aligned with our customer's needs," said Jeff Bantle, vice president of Multi-Mission Solutions for Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego. He added: "Harris brings mission-critical communications and information systems expertise to our team, while DRS Technologies adds unique electronic systems and data link capabilities essential for assured battlefield network communications under combat conditions."

The Government Communications Systems Division of Harris, in Melbourne, FL, and the DRS EW & Network Systems unit of DRS Technologies, in Buffalo, NY, join several other previously announced members of Lockheed Martin's UCAR team. They include Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., which brings helicopter and unmanned air vehicle design and development expertise to the team; The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, known for its advanced controls and technology prowess; Whitney, Bradley and Brown, leaders in mission analysis and analytical hierarchy process tools; and four Lockheed Martin businesses that add a multitude of mission-critical and systems integration expertise, including automated target recognition, mission management and control, architecture analysis, visualization technologies and multispectral survivability analysis.

The UCAR program is a system development effort, including an advanced unmanned rotorcraft air vehicle design. Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army, the Lockheed Martin-led UCAR team was awarded $9.4 million in July 2003 to enter the second phase of a development agreement for preliminary system design work.

Focused on advancing the Army's Future Force transformational capabilities, Bantle emphasized the Lockheed Martin UCAR solution delivers multimission options to the battlefield commander, such as mobile strike, close combat support, armored reconnaissance and force security missions. UCAR delivers speed, agility and endurance to operate effectively with manned aviation elements, such as Comanche and Apache helicopters. The UCAR system concept is designed to support modular payloads to provide multiple mission options for battlefield commanders.

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.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin