PHOENIX, 3 Oct. 2005. Lockheed Martin has been selected by the U.S. Army to upgrade the Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Multifunction (ARL-M) radar that provides high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images in all weather, day or night in support of missions in the Republic of Korea.
The $10.9 million contract involves replacing four SAR systems with Lockheed Martin's advanced Phoenix Eye radar, which is a high resolution image and moving target indicator (MTI) system of similar design to the system developed for the Army's objective intelligence and electronic warfare systems.
"We look forward to supporting the Army with this radar upgrade," said Jerry Lindfelt, vice president for Lockheed Martin's Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Systems. "Over the decades, we have evolved our SAR technologies from broad surveillance operations to precise location and tracking sensors for all weather conditions."
Lockheed Martin developed the first operational SAR system in the early 1950s. Unlike electro-optical imaging systems, SAR is an active system (with its own microwave illuminator) that can generate images day or night. The microwave operating frequencies are chosen such that the radar imaging is unaffected by weather. As a result, SAR is the only imaging system that can provide tactical ground imagery day or night, in any type of weather. This technology generates image and collateral information for diverse military and science applications including earth resources monitoring, agricultural and land use, ocean spill monitoring, polar ice assessment, intelligence acquisition, battlefield reconnaissance and weapon delivery.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion. For more information, see www.lockheedmartin.com.
