German Weather Service Selects Selex System and Lockheed Martin for Wind Shear Detection at Frankfurt and Munich Airports

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Mar 02, 2010, 10:13 ET

DENVER, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The German Weather Service (DWD) has signed a contract with Selex Systems Integration GmbH to deliver a Low Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) for the Frankfurt and Munich, Germany airports. The systems consist of a METEOR 50DX Dual Polarisation Weather Radar, a WindTracer® Doppler Lidar, and comprehensive sensor data integration based on Rainbow5 Software. The WindTracer system is developed and produced by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Coherent Technologies.

"By introducing the Low Level Wind Shear Alert System at the two largest airports in Germany, Frankfurt and Munich, we will take a leading role in Europe. The LLWAS will provide new data covering the terminal area and issue Low Level Wind Shear Alerts following ICAO Recommendation Annex 3 Chap. 7. It will provide an important contribution towards putting the demands of the Single European Sky (SES) into action," said Frank Lehrnickel, program manager for the LLWAS integration at DWD.

WindTracer uses pulses of infrared light and receives data when the light reflects off naturally-occurring dust particles in the air. It complements radar by excelling in dry and clear weather conditions.

At a further stage the DWD plans to expand its system towards an Integrated Terminal Weather System – ITWS that will provide comprehensive meteorological data with high resolution and repetition time. These high quality data will enable DWD to provide better meteorological forecasting for its demanding customers, leading to increased air traffic safety and punctuality. Delays in departure and arrival and emissions will be reduced. Resource planning and passenger safety and comfort will be improved.

Worldwide Selex is one of the leading suppliers for meteorological solutions and products. The award of this contract demonstrates the confidence in SELEX-Gematronik's ability to deliver high-end solutions for ATC applications. SELEX-Gematronik is the technology leader in weather radar systems worldwide, providing best-in-class systems in C-, S- and X-Band. Over the last decade, more than 250 high-end systems of the METEOR product line have been put into operation for leading meteorological service providers in over 60 countries on all continents.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., 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 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

For more information about WindTracer: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/windtracer