SYRACUSE, NY, August 13th, 1998 -- Australia's Minister for Defence Ian McLachlan announced that Lockheed Martin has been awarded contracts worth about A$125 million (US$100M) for the supply and initial five year support of four Tactical Air Defence Radar Systems for the Australian Defence Force. Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems in Syracuse, NY, has the lead for the program within the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The new radar systems are to replace old systems operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, and will be located in Australia at Williamtown (NSW) and in the Darwin area. McLachlan said Lockheed Martin teamed with Tenix Defence Systems of Williamtown, Australia, and RLM Systems in Melbourne to offer the new TPS-117 tactically-mobile, long-range air defence radar systems. Lockheed Martin's bid was assessed against world wide competing offers.

"The new radar systems will contribute to the overall surveillance and control of Australian airspace," he said. "The enhanced performance of the TPS-117 radars will provide improved detection of aircraft even in adverse weather conditions. They can be relocated by air, rail, sea, or road including tactical cross-country deployments by all-wheel-drive vehicles."

"Australia has made a strong commitment to its national defense through the use of leading-edge technology, and Lockheed Martin is pleased to support this effort," said Michael A. Smith, President Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems. "As the largest single competitive radar award for the business in recent memory, this is a great achievement for the Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems team. The award is another major international competitive selection of our TPS-117 radar, a system we hope to provide to other nations around the world which require reliable, state-of-the-art, dual- use, long-range radar capability."

Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems has over one hundred solid state radars in operation worldwide. A system similar to the one planned for Australia will be fielded in Brazil for environmental surveillance of the Amazon rain forests.

The Lockheed Martin TPS-117 radar system will be Australia's Tactical Air Defense Radar System (TADRS). Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems produces the TPS-117 at its Electronics Park facilities in Syracuse. The selection marks the second major Lockheed Martin project in Australia, following the establishment of a joint venture in Australia (RLM Pty Ltd.), and its inaugural project -- the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) -- a series of over-the-horizon radars.

The high technology radar systems will be produced and assembled in Syracuse and Australian manufactured subsystems will be integrated with the Lockheed Martin radar elements by Tenix Defence Systems in Melbourne, Australia. The majority of the work will be done in Syracuse over the duration of the approximately 8-year project.

RLM Systems will be responsible for the software engineering of the user- interface to meet the unique Australian operational requirements. The first radar system is expected to be delivered to the Australian Defence Force for evaluation by December 2000.

"Australian industry, led by Tenix Defence Systems and RLM Systems, will provide in-country support for the new radar systems, including maintenance, software support, and other logistics services," McLachlan said. "Australian industry will benefit considerably from the transfer of leading-edge technology during the assembly and support of the new radar systems."

Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems is an industry leader in the design, development and integration of complex, software-intensive, electronic systems. The business has a Software Engineering Institute Rating (SEI) of Level 4, achieved by less than 20 companies worldwide.

Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems is the radar center for Lockheed Martin and traces its roots back to many firsts in radar technology development including the producer of the world's first, solid state long range radar, first simultaneous 3-D radar, developer of the first airborne early warning radar and the first over-the-horizon radar.

The company has also been a leader in acoustic technology since 1955.

Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, USA, Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems has the charters within the Corporation for Ground-based and Airborne Radar, UnderSea Warfare, Ship Electronic Warfare, Submarine Electronic Warfare, Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems Minehunting Subsystems, and Vessel Traffic Management. The business has four operations in the US and two international locations, Paris, France and Melbourne, Australia. The business employs approximately 2200. Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems is an operating unit of Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of electronics systems for the global, aerospace, defense, civil and commercial marketplace.