The US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $28.1 million contract to provide the first phase of an integrated technology network, designed to increase the Iraqi Air Force's situational awareness in both military and civilian airspace.

Under the competitive Iraq Air Command and Control System contract, Lockheed Martin's Tactical Systems business in Minnesota will deliver within 27 months a networked communications infrastructure including a sector operation center (SOC) and training suite, a ground-to-air transmitter and receiver (GATR) site and an AN/TPS-77 long-range air surveillance radar system.  Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems business, located in Syracuse, New York, will provide the surveillance radar.

'This project enhances the Iraqi Air Force's capability by significantly improving situational awareness with modern command and control capabilities that are interoperable with other Coalition assets,' said Rick Udicious, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Tactical Systems business, which is managing the project.

The Air Force's Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts awarded the contract.  Potential follow-on phases of the project may include additional SOC, GATR and long-range radar sites.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.-TradeArabia News Service