ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered the first electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) to the U.S. Navy for maximizing aircraft readiness.

Sailors and Marines will use eCASS to troubleshoot and repair naval aircraft electronic components at sea and ashore, allowing them to return aircraft to operational status quickly and efficiently. The Navy expects to deploy eCASS on every U.S. aircraft carrier and at its Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Depots.

"With eCASS, the Department of the Navy will enable a cost avoidance of more than $1 billion annually by averting the repair of avionics at the next level of maintenance or sending the parts back to the original equipment manufacturer," said Chris Giggey, deputy program manager for Automated Test Systems at the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command.

"Our focus is providing Sailors and Marines with the most effective tool to maintain the Navy's aircraft because they are called on to ensure security anytime and anywhere," said Randy Core, director of Enterprise Test Solutions at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. "eCASS advances automated testing to maximize aircraft availability worldwide."

Currently, the Navy has ordered 38 eCASS stations and is gearing up to purchase an additional 29. The Navy ultimately plans to field 341 of these stations.  

eCASS preserves the Navy's investment in test programs, extending the value of the legacy CASS program that consolidated 30 test equipment systems into one resulting in $3.9 billion in cost avoidance. The system can support more than 750 avionics components as well as a range of electronic equipment on carriers, other maritime craft or at shore to reduce the amount of gear needed for deployments.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin