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Lockheed Martin's Towed Array Team Wins Special Recognition from U.S. Navy

SYRACUSE, NY, October 12th, 2000 -- Lockheed Martin today announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded members of the towed array team a special Certificate of Excellence for Acquisition Reform. The certificate, signed by Dr. H. Lee Buchanan, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, was presented in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin's towed array production facility in Syracuse. It recognizes outstanding contributions by the team toward improving procurement processes for the TB-29A, the Navy's newest towed array sensor. "Lockheed Martin has approached the TB-29A development with a focused effort and a personal touch," said Angelo Karagiorgis, TB-29A project manager for the U.S. Navy. "The team has worked through the risks and has helped the TB-29A become a key element in our national security."

Towed arrays are sensors attached by cables to submarines, enabling them to detect acoustic energy. Prime contractor Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Undersea Systems (NE&SS-Undersea Systems), and its subcontractor, L-3 Communications, will build the TB-29A towed array, an upgraded version of the TB-29 currently in use. The Navy has predicted it needs as many as 100 of the new TB-29As, which use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology adapted from the telecommunications industry for cost reduction. The TB-29A employs a new lightweight tow cable and is scheduled for deployment on Los Angeles, Seawolf- and Virginia-class submarines.

"One indicator of the success of our towed array program is that all ten of the existing TB-29 arrays are in a full operating status. These tactical systems, which are key to giving our submarines an acoustic advantage, are in high demand by the fleet and have seen significant operational use. This caliber of operational readiness is attributed to the dedicated engineering, repair and procurement efforts of the employees on Lockheed Martin's towed array team," said Dave Collier, director, towed array systems.

NE&SS-Undersea Systems President Frank DeBritz said, "We are very proud of our contributions to the high readiness of the TB-29 program. We designed and produced the first towed array for the Navy 40 years ago and continue to be the world leader in this technology with the new generation, TB-29A towed array. We are committed to following an aggressive production schedule for the TB-29A beginning with delivery of the first five beginning in August 2001 and completing in 2002."

A leader in ground-based and airborne radar, surface vessel and submarine electronic warfare, ASW systems and sensors, minehunting systems and vessel traffic management, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems-Undersea Systems serves customers including all branches of the U.S. armed forces, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Transportation and State, and defense and transportation departments of countries on six continents. NE&SS-Undersea Systems employs approximately 2,000 people at its Syracuse, N.Y., headquarters and is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Kerri Donaleski
315-456-3328
kerri.a.donaleski@lmco.com