Lockheed Martin's distributed operations (DisOPS) technology successfully enabled U.S. forces to maintain superior situational awareness over a "beyond-line-of-sight" network at Trident Warrior 2009 -- a U.S. Navy exercise designed to accelerate deployment of new capabilities to the warfighter.

Developed by Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL), DisOPS is a ruggedized PDA that provides situational awareness, coordinated maneuvering and friendly-force tracking for the warfighter. During Trident Warrior, Lockheed Martin integrated DisOPS with emulated Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) space and ground segment and terrestrial network interfaces. Together, the technologies provided on-the-move networking between U.S. Navy visit, board, search and seizure teams, their on-scene commander, and other, higher levels of command and control.

MUOS is a next-generation, Internet protocol-based, tactical, satellite-communications system that provides third-generation networked services to the warfighter.

Visit, board, search and seizure teams -- or boarding patrols -- used DisOPS to communicate present position, transmit and receive photos, document probable cause to stop and search a craft, and request permission to search in real-time without leaving the boarded craft. The combination of DisOPS PDAs integrated with an emulated MUOS network significantly expanded situational awareness for the patrols and their chain of command, no matter where that command resided worldwide.

"Using the DisOPS/MUOS capability let boarding team members remain in constant communication via simultaneous voice and data with the on-scene and maritime interdiction commanders throughout each boarding operation," said Brett Breslow, ATL DisOPS program manager. "Our technology significantly improved collaboration among all of the stakeholders, allowing patrols to quickly investigate and identify potential high-value targets."

Breslow added that operators later said that a fielded DisOPS system would significantly decrease the time required to perform boarding operations.

Directed by the Naval Network Warfare Command, Trident Warrior is a collaboration of U.S. Navy and civilian contractors to test technologies related to maritime domain awareness during various exercises.

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