Lockheed Martin to Install WindTracer Lidar System at Palermo Airport in Italy

Doppler Lidar System Detects Wind Hazards, Improving Takeoff and Landing Safety

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Mar 08, 2010, 07:00 ET

AMSTERDAM, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- /ATC Global Conference 2010/ – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that Arc Trade S.r.l. of Italy has purchased a WindTracer® Doppler lidar system which will be installed at the Palermo Airport on the island of Sicily. The WindTracer lidar has been added to Italy's wind shear program, which is managed by ENAV S.p.A., the Italian air traffic management organization.

Also known as Falcone-Borsellino Airport, the Palermo Airport is one of the busiest in Italy, with approximately 4.5 million passengers yearly. The WindTracer deployment will support the wind shear integration project - a meteorological monitoring program to improve the detection of hazardous winds. The system will monitor the wind field conditions vertically, horizontally and alongside the glide path during takeoff and landing on the airport's two runways.

"WindTracer provides advanced warning of wind hazards by continuously scanning the approach and departure corridors, enabling air traffic control personnel to offer precise, timely direction to pilots during their most critical phase of flight," said Dr. Steve Hannon, director of Environmental Sensing for Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies.

Developed and produced by Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies, WindTracer works by sending out pulses of eye-safe infrared laser light that reflect off of naturally-occurring particulates in the wind. The movement of these particulates alters the frequency of the light that is scattered back to the sensor. By properly processing the return signal, the system is able to detect the wind shift. The data from WindTracer is vital during dangerous weather conditions and is used to prevent wind shear-related accidents.

ENAV is one of the major European service providers, with outstanding expertise in air traffic management operations. ENAV is responsible for the development and validation of new concepts and improved procedures in support of air traffic controllers. Lockheed Martin collaborated with Eurelettronica ICAS of Italy to introduce the WindTracer to ENAV.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., USA, 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