Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $3.5 million contract to develop the Integrated Smart-BEAR Power System (ISBPS) for the U.S. Air Force. The Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) program equips U.S. forces with lightweight, air-transportable assets used to establish mobile air bases. ISBPS is an intelligent system that will integrate a variety of energy sources, including renewables, into the existing BEAR power grid, with goals to reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent, alleviate logistics burdens and improve power availability.

Typical BEAR camps comprise housing and airfield operations, plus supporting facilities. ISBPS will be designed to support these modular bases, which can accommodate thousands of troops.

"Renewable energy sources can save lives and money by reducing the amount of fuel transported in theater," said Gil Metzger, director for Intelligent Microgrid Solutions at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Our transportable intelligent power system will integrate renewable and conventional power, a challenging task in deployed environments. This important capability will increase safety and add new mission-extending capability for our troops."

Key ISBPS capabilities include operating in both grid-tied and grid-independent modes. The system will independently sustain critical power loads when the primary grid is unavailable, supplementing conventional diesel generation with solar and wind power. The system is also designed for rapid deployment and will fit in standard shipping containers.

Initial ISBPS development and demonstration will occur at Lockheed Martin's Dallas site prior to deployment, taking advantage of the Lockheed Martin Microgrid Development Center. This unique facility provides comprehensive power system modeling, simulation and physical testing in one location. To make the Lockheed Martin solution as theater-ready as possible, the ISBPS team will construct and use actual BEAR structures during the testing phase in Dallas.

Lockheed Martin has significant experience developing and integrating rugged, reliable and complex systems, and is teamed with SkyBuilt Power, a leader in rapidly deployable hybrid solar and wind power systems. Lockheed Martin and SkyBuilt will together provide a rugged, mobile, integrated power solution that will have far-reaching effects for military applications as well as others in civil and international markets.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 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 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

For additional information, visit our Web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin