Lockheed Martin has completed installation of an air defense and communications network modernization project for the Romanian Air Force.

The project, completed by Lockheed Martin and several Romanian subcontractors, enhances the air defense and command and control capabilities of Romania's Air Sovereignty Operations Center (ASOC) by extending the air space management system's radar, voice, and data link communication network to provide an enhanced air surveillance picture covering the entire country.

"This project provides the Romanian Air Force with significantly improved situational awareness as well as modern command and control capabilities that are interoperable with other NATO assets," said Rick Udicious, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Tactical Systems business.

In November 2004, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract by the Romanian Ministry of Defense (MoD) to extend and enhance the capabilities of the ASOC that Lockheed Martin initially delivered to Romania in 1998. With the program's successful site acceptance tests on Sept. 19, 2008 - including flight tests - the backbone of this network modernization project was completed on schedule and within the planned budget.

Among the sensors that currently provide data for the Romanian air defense system are five Lockheed Martin AN/FPS-117 long-range radars which, under a separate 2007 contract, are ahead of schedule for upgrade to state-of-the art technology by the end of this year.

Earlier this year, Lockheed Martin and the Romanian MoD signed a contract for the co-production of 17 TPS-79(R) Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar systems for Phase II of the Air Force "Gap Filler" upgrade program. Once completed, these systems also will plug seamlessly into Romania's enhanced air defense network.

Since 1997, Lockheed Martin has installed ASOC airspace management and air defense systems - compatible with a variety of sensors - in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that 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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin