Lockheed Martin Lands $105 Million Aviation Deal in Republic of Georgia

Lockheed Martin Corp. of Bethesda, Md., Dec. 19 signed a long-term partnership agreement with the Republic of Georgia under which Lockheed Martin will modernize the former Soviet republic's aviation infrastructure.

The agreement, valued at $105 million, will involve the joint development of a 15-year master aviation modernization plan leading to implementation of a range of aviation-related products.

The first task to be carried out in early 2001 will be to define the requirement for a new air traffic management system and the most efficient way to install and transition to a fully integrated environment.

Systems integrator Lockheed Martin and Georgian authorities also will plan infrastructure improvement programs for airports in the capital, Tbilisi, and other Georgian cities.

The effort also seeks to enhance commercial air transport, airline route structures and regional cooperation and system interoperability.


The agreement supports the Lockheed Martin's strategy of establishing significant long-term airspace modernization partnerships with countries and regions, said Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management.


"Increasingly, we are finding that countries are seeking partners, rather than suppliers, who can work with them to develop long-term technology solutions, rather than point solutions," Antonucci said. "This approach not only protects the country's investment in technology, but also addresses the multifaceted issues of countrywide airspace management, such as systems, financing, facilities, training and support."


Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management is responsible for systems that control more than 60 percent of the world's air traffic from more than 220 air traffic control centers.

Its clients include the Federal Aviation Administration and international civil aviation authorities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, the People's Republic of China, Argentina and New Zealand.