WASHINGTON, D.C - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management, Rockville, Md., for Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) satellite leased communication services. As the FAA moves towards implementation of satellite navigation, these services will provide increased availability of WAAS for instrument approaches across a majority of the national airspace system.

This initial contract is worth $34 million, including a $12 million task order to start the work. The total contract value could amount to $597 million if additional satellite services are ordered. This was a competitive procurement that ultimately led to a team that consists of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Corp. and Boeing Co. The initial contract permits Lockheed Martin to proceed with the design and development of the ground stations.

The FAA is developing WAAS to provide increased safety and capacity in navigation and landing to allow for additional precision approach capability without additional ground infrastructure. WAAS, which is made up of a system of satellites and ground reference stations, improves the accuracy and the integrity of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) signals.

The FAA currently leases communications transponders on two Inmarsat-III satellites, providing coverage over the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. The additional geostationary satellite communication service increases the availability of the WAAS signal-in-space and makes the system more reliable. This means that pilots using the WAAS will have less chance of losing the signal during critical flight operations.

Acquisition of a third satellite leased communication service follows a recommendation from an independent review board study that concluded that it was too risky to depend on two satellites for the availability of the WAAS signal. A third geostationary satellite is needed to ensure that a single geostationary failure does not cause large-scale outages of service over the U.S.

This contract provides for a 24-month development of ground earth stations with the flexibility to procure up to three satellite leased communication services. It also will allow the FAA flexibility for procuring leased services that take into account changes in the constellation due to the satellite relocations, satellite failure, unplanned outages, as well as maintaining geostationary diversity and security. The FAA plans to have the first additional communications link operating on a geostationary satellite by 2006.

The FAA is currently conducting WAAS operational test and evaluation, and certification for instrument flight rule navigation in preparation for commissioning later this year. Thislatest satellite services acquisition, combined with the recent successes in the WAAS
program, brings the FAA one step closer to full utilization of satellite navigation and is a significant step towards moving the agency into the future of navigation.

WASHINGTON, D.C- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) will hold its 28th Annual Aviation Forecast Conference on March 18th and 19th at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. The theme of this year's conference is "Aviation's Recovery: Timing, Strength, and Structural Change?" At the conference, the FAA will release its Aerospace Forecasts Fiscal Years 2003 - 2014, which gives the latest and future estimates of activity and growth in aviation products and services.

The first day of the conference will begin at 8 a.m. at the Convention Center, 900 Ninth St. N.W. Opening the conference will be featured speakers Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta, FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, and the Homeland Security Department's Transportation Security Administration Deputy Administrator Steve HcHale. Beginning at noon, the luncheon keynote speaker will be David N. Siegel, president and CEO of US Airways. Throughout the day, various panels will examine the environment of aviation, strategies for recovery, and potential alternatives to commercial air travel. The second day will begin at 8 a.m. and will include five concurrent panels that will examine the status of large commercial air carriers, regional/commuter airlines, air cargo, airports/infrastructure, and general aviation.