Lockheed Martin has signed a five-year, 24.5 million pounds Sterling partnering contract with the Ministry of Defence to operate and maintain the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT).

A team comprised of Lockheed Martin UK Simulation, Training & Support (STS) and BAE Systems, will be responsible for CATT Training Services, managing the simulators and related facilities to ensure training is available for forces in both the UK and Sennelager, Germany. Lockheed Martin originally designed and built the simulator in 2002.

"CATT is an integral part of the training programme for UK troops preparing for operations," said Toby Mills, managing director of Lockheed Martin UK STS. "CATT-Training Services will help achieve and sustain current British Army collective performance training objectives in order to deliver force elements at their full readiness level."

"The CATT Training Service represents a further strengthening of a very successful relationship," said Matt Tovey, CATT programme manager at the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation. "The high quality of training output will be further enhanced through a partnering approach which provides the basis for exploring further efficiencies."

Lt. Col. Nick Baily added: "Brigade and Battlegroup training are extremely complex processes. CATT is a peerless facility where troops can fine tune tactics, techniques and procedures in the virtual environment, prior to exercising in the field. Although virtual, it provides many of the frictions and uncertainties of warfare and allows activities to be conducted which for safety and environmental reasons, can only otherwise be conducted on operation. We look forward to working with the Lockheed Martin team to help us deliver troops with the skills they need to fight successfully and win."

Each CATT installation covers an area the size of three football pitches and has 170 vehicle simulators. Half of these replicate, in detail, the interiors of vehicles such as Challenger II main battle tanks, Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The remainder are designed to generic standards and can replicate a variety of vehicles, helicopters and dismounted infantry. The facility can accommodate as many as 700 troops in a simulated battle, either against each other or using computer-generates forces across thousands of kilometres of the Wiltshire and Hampshire countryside. The system can replay an exercise for post-exercise analysis and assessment.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

Lockheed Martin UK, a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, is a leader in systems integration working on major programmes spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors. Lockheed Martin works with more than 100 business partners and employs over 1700 people at 12 sites across the UK.

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FCMN Contact: warren.wright@lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin