Lockheed Martin delivers eCASS aircraft electronics test system to increase U.S. Navy aircraft fleet readiness

ORLANDO, Fla., 23 Jan. 2015.Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) has delivered the first electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS), designed to maximize aircraft readiness, to the U.S. Navy.

U.S. Navy personnel 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," says 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," explains Randy Core, director of Enterprise Test Solutions at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. "eCASS advances automated testing to maximize aircraft availability worldwide."

Navy officials have ordered 38 eCASS stations and are 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.