SYRACUSE, NY, February 25th, 1999 -- Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems (OR&SS) was awarded a $1.2 million contract to provide a Vessel Traffic System (VTS) for Manzanillo Bay adjacent to the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal. The award has special significance in support of the Republic of Panama receiving full control of the Canal at year-end 1999. The contract is part of a concession between Ports Engineering & Consultants Corporation (PECC) and the Panamanian government. PECC maintains Panama's National Aids to Navigation System and oversees the navigational and engineering duties for the Maritime Authority of Panama. "This contract extends our presence in the management of ports and waterways around the world," said Mike Smith, president, OR&SS. "This partnership is a perfect fit and we welcome the opportunity to provide our expertise in this area for future endeavors." PECC formulated a model for the waterways management of navigational aids that can be tailored to other national maritime authorities and ports. "The Lockheed Martin system is impressive," said PECC President Charles Jumet. "Its adaptability and capabilities were key to its selection for this project." The OR&SS VTS will provide over 14 nautical miles of marine traffic surveillance covering from Manzanillo Bay to the canal's entrance at the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Scheduled installation is July 1999. OR&SS is an operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation and is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of electronics systems for the global, aerospace, defense, civil and commercial marketplace. OR&SS is based in Syracuse, N.Y., and employs approximately 2,200 at operations in Riviera Beach, Fla., Manassas, Va., Sunnyvale, Calif., Melbourne, Australia, and Paris, France.