18 Dec 03. The Lockheed Martin Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) development team is strengthening its technical diversity and communication systems capabilities by adding Harris Corporation and DRS Technologies, Inc. The Government Communications Systems Division of Harris, in Melbourne, FL, and the DRS EW & Network Systems unit of DRS Technologies, in Buffalo, NY, join several other previously announced members of Lockheed Martin’s UCAR team. They include Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., which brings helicopter and unmanned air vehicle design and development expertise to the team; The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, known for its advanced controls and technology prowess; Whitney, Bradley and Brown, leaders in mission analysis and analytical hierarchy process tools; and four Lockheed Martin businesses that add a multitude of mission-critical and systems integration expertise, including automated target recognition, mission management and control, architecture analysis, visualization technologies and multispectral survivability analysis.

02 Dec 03. Lockheed Martin and Elbit Systems Ltd will jointly pursue helicopter modernization opportunities in Bulgaria as well as in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Near term, the companies are teaming to pursue recently announced plans to upgrade Bulgaria’s Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters to meet NATO standards. Bulgaria is planning to repair and modernize these aircraft by incorporating modern avionics and mission systems and extending the life of the helicopters. The Mi-24 helicopters’ arms systems also will be upgraded.

16 Dec 03. Lockheed Martin has chosen Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand to provide the propulsion system for its entry in the U.S. Navy’s Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) competition. The Lockheed Martin entry is a technically advanced, highly updated derivative of the P-3 Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft currently in service. The proposed aircraft will have four engines and propellers.