Lockheed Martin recently received a $133 million award to provide the U.S. Army with eight additional Persistent Threat Detection Systems (PTDS) to support coalition forces.

A tethered aerostat-based system in use by the Army since 2004, PTDS is equipped with multi-mission sensors to provide long endurance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications in support of coalition forces. Nine systems are currently deployed, and the additional eight will be provided over the next 11 months.

"PTDS is providing our troops in the field with real-time surveillance and valuable intelligence information," said Stephanie Hill, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Defense Technologies business. "These affordable and reliable systems demonstrate the increasing importance of rapidly deployable lighter-than-air platforms to today's warfighters."

Filled with helium, aerostats and other lighter-than-air systems provide low-cost, long-endurance communications and surveillance capabilities not possible with other types of aircraft. Attached by a high-strength tether to a re-locatable mooring system, aerostats can stay continuously aloft for weeks, carrying different types of surveillance equipment to conduct multiple missions.

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 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin