The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $17.5 million contract to upgrade existing anti-submarine warfare systems aboard the P-3C Orion aircraft to improve current acoustic capabilities and significantly reduce parts obsolescence.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will design, produce and install the new AN/USQ-78(V) Acoustic Subsystem for the P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft. The contract includes upgrades and technical refreshes to software in addition to procurement of Acoustic Receiver Tech Refresh systems. By employing open architecture, the new system will allow future capability upgrades while improving reliability and maintainability that reduce overall cost.

Utilizing the Air Acoustic Rapid Commercial Off-The-Shelf Insertion approach, Lockheed Martin is producing the AN/USQ-78(V) system as part of an ongoing, planned series of technical refreshes to the baseline system. These planned internal upgrades are designed to replace obsolete components, provide increased processing capacity and provide the framework for future aircraft upgrades.

"This update provides an open Commercial Off-The-Shelf digital architecture using a modern digital receiver that is common across all maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters," said Denise Saiki, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Undersea Systems business. "That helps drive down the total ownership cost of the platforms and provides enhanced acoustic capability to the fleet."

Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin's Undersea Systems facility in Manassas, Va.

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