Sanders Receives $12 Million U.S. Navy Contract for Advanced Common Electronic Modules.

NASHUA, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 11, 1997--Sanders, a Lockheed Martin Company, has received a $12 million contract from the U.S. Navy for the design, development and production of advanced common electronic modules (ACEMs) that will reduce equipment life cycle costs aboard ships and aircraft.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Arlington, Va., is the contracting agency.

Under the contract, Sanders will develop, test and demonstrate highly integrated, low-maintenance radio frequency (RF) and digital technology through affordable multi-mission common electronic modules. Sanders will demonstrate the integration of RF and digital processing functions in a set of common miniaturized modules capable of performing all acquisition and processing functions for synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electronic warfare (EW) and tactical communications.

The ACEMs will incorporate state-of-the-art multi-function digital signal processing (DSP) technology while providing a growth path for future technology insertion. The use of multi-function DSP technology offers substantial cost savings due to reduction in equipment and trained personnel, increase in the overall system mean-time-between-failures (MTBF) and reductions in weight and power needed to run existing systems.

Delivery of three prototype systems and flight testing aboard an SH-60 helicopter are expected to be completed by September 2001. All work will be performed in Nashua, N.H.

According to Don Troxel, Sanders ACEM program manager, "Our goal is to modernize the electronic suite from analog to digital processing by deploying a modular multi-function receiver. This modular approach uses the same hardware repeatedly to implement various electronic processing functions. The end result is expected to increase the mean time between failure by 50 percent and to provide considerable life cycle savings for the Navy. These benefits will be realized through increases in component reliability, simplified logistics and significant reductions in weight and power consumption."

Sanders is an operating company of the Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of electronic systems for global defense, civil and commercial markets. Sanders is a major producer of electronic combat and self-protection systems, and is the industry leader in the development of automated mission planning systems. Other major business areas include tactical communications, surveillance and intelligence systems, avionics and space electronics, microwave electronics subsystems, and commercial telecommunications systems.

-0-

Note to Editors: This story supplements an announcement by the Department of Defense on June 16, 1997.

CONTACT: Sanders

Marv Braman, 603/885-2817

John Measell, 603/885-2810