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Lockheed Martin's "Hawkeye" Performs Flawlessly

AH-1Z Cobra Targeting System Debuts

ORLANDO, FL, December 13th, 2000 -- Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control recently announced the first successful public flight demonstrations of its Hawkeye Target Sight System (TSS), an advanced electro-optic/ infrared (EO/IR) sensor system for the U.S. Marine Corps' AH-1Z "Super Cobra" attack helicopter. Lockheed Martin is under contract with Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. to manufacture the advanced system, which provides target detection, recognition, and identification at extremely long ranges during day and night operations.

At a November 20 rollout ceremony for the AH-1Z, conducted at Bell Helicopter Plant Six in Arlington, Texas, and sponsored by the Naval Air Systems Command PMA-276, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers, as well as foreign military and government officials and international press, witnessed the first public flights of Hawkeye. Prospective customers from Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Greece, and Slovenia were given an opportunity for in-flight "hands-on" operation of the system that Lockheed Martin had installed on a Bell Model 222 helicopter. A real-time video downlink was also displayed. All passive imaging modes of the system, including extended range (XR), were demonstrated. With only 8 hours of flight time prior to the public demonstration, the system performed flawlessly and provided outstanding video from both the forward looking infrared (FLIR) and the color TV sensors.

"This flight demonstration marks a significant program maturity milestone," said Lockheed Martin's Terry Carsten, director of the Hawkeye TSS program. "It further establishes Hawkeye TSS as a strong candidate for current domestic and international procurements."

The Hawkeye TSS is a suite of high-performance electro-optical/infrared sensors packaged in a highly stabilized turret to provide day/night surveillance and targeting for the AH-1Z Cobra helicopter. It features a large-aperture, third-generation staring mid-wave FLIR; a color TV with continuous zoom to high magnification; a laser designator/rangefinder with an eyesafe mode; a laser spot tracker; and an on-gimbal inertial measurement unit (IMU) for accurate line-of-sight pointing and geolocation of targets.

"Hawkeye enables the AH-1Z to identify targets at ranges beyond current weapon engagement ranges, thereby maximizing standoff and enhancing aircraft survivability and lethality," Carsten said.

Located in Dallas, Texas, and Orlando, Fla., Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, a world leader in electro-optics, smart munitions, advanced combat, missile, rocket and space systems, is an operating element of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration business unit based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Nettie Johnson, 407-356-5351
e-mail nettie.r.johnson@lmco.com