Lockheed Martin has won two of five awards given annually by the Department of Defense and the National Defense Industrial Association for excellence in systems engineering.
The awards, presented at the NDIA Systems Engineering Conference in San Diego, are assessed on 2011 performance and recognize effective implementation of systems engineering best practices to achieve program success.
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Syracuse, N.Y., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., each received the NDIA’s Top 5 DOD Program Award for 2012. The U.S. Army and U.S Air Force were co-recipients for each program respectively.
Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Sensors business and the U.S. Army’s Project Manager, Night Vision/Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition, were recognized for the AN/TPQ-53 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar. The Q-53 radar system – formerly designated EQ-36 during its development – detects, classifies and tracks mortars, rockets and artillery as well as locating their source, in either 360- or 90-degree modes, to provide soldiers with enhanced protection. In response to urgent combat needs, the Army began deploying this system to Iraq and Afghanistan in fall of 2010. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered 29 of the 65 Q-53 radars ordered by the Army.
“The first Q-53 radar system was in combat providing enhanced protection for our soldiers just 45 months after we won the Army’s competitive development contract – that’s a real testament to our employees’ dedication and our Systems Engineering know how,” said Lee Flake, Lockheed Martin’s program director for counterfire target acquisition radar systems. “Systems engineering is a core competency of our company and we are proud to be recognized for our commitment to excellence.”
Lockheed Martin Space Systems and the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., won for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program. AEHF provides vastly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected communications for tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF provides the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications links to national leaders including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict.
After an innovative orbit-raising plan, the first AEHF satellite reached its orbit on Oct 24, 2011. The second satellite reached orbit on August 10, 2012. Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to deliver four AEHF satellites and the program has begun advanced procurement of long-lead components for the fifth and sixth AEHF satellites.
“Enabled by a first class engineering team, the first and second AEHF satellites are safely on orbit, performing exceptionally and delivering unprecedented new communications capabilities for our armed forces,” said Mark Calassa, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and AEHF program manager. “Systems engineering is at the heart of our advanced technology systems, and we are honored to be recognized for this prestigious award.”
