Lockheed Martin has achieved its most significant milestone for the new system to control air traffic over U.S. oceanic airspace, with the Federal Aviation Administration's site acceptance of the Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) system in its Oakland, Calif., en route and oceanic center. After successful system testing, the FAA accepted the Oakland ATOP installation on April 29, 2004.

"First site acceptance is a significant achievement toward helping us provide our customers with oceanic services that allow more planes to fly preferred routes and manage growing international air traffic," said Charles Keegan, FAA vice president for En Route and Oceanic Services. "The entire team should be commended as the technology and complexity of the ATOP system requires a strong working partnership between government and industry. This has been accomplished within the Government's capital investment baseline," he said.

The ATOP system replaces the FAA's existing systems and procedures responsible for separation of aircraft over the oceans, enabling controllers to reduce spacing between aircraft flying while preserving passenger safety and improving routing efficiency. The FAA manages approximately 80 percent of the world's controlled oceanic airspace, including approximately 24 million square miles over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. New capabilities offered by the initial phase of the ATOP system will increase capacity for international air travel and automate the manual processes used today.

"We are pleased that the FAA has accepted the ATOP system in Oakland," said Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions. "The successful acceptance of the first of three locations nationwide moves the FAA forward in its goals of increasing efficiency and oceanic airspace capacity in order to meet growing international air traffic requirements."

Lockheed Martin is currently supporting testing and training of controllers and technicians and anticipates achieving New York site acceptance by September 2004. The company also installed ATOP system hardware in Anchorage, and site acceptance testing there is scheduled in 2005.

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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin