SYRACUSE, N.Y., 1 May 2012. The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] $391 million in production orders for a new radar system that provides protection from rocket, mortar and artillery fire.

The orders represent two contract options for a total of 33 AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) counterfire target acquisition radars, formerly designated the EQ-36, to be delivered by the end of 2014.  The options include spares, testing and training materials.  If all options are exercised, 38 additional low- and full-rate production systems could be added and the total contract value would be over $800 million.

The radar system provides target location of indirect fire systems with enough accuracy for counterfire. The Q-53 is designed to operate with the CRAM system and the future Indirect Fire Protection Capability System. Mounted on a five-ton truck, the Q-53 can be rapidly deployed, automatically leveled and remotely operated with a laptop computer or from a fully equipped climate-controlled command vehicle.

Lockheed Martin won the competitive development contract for the EQ-36 radar in 2007. The Army awarded the company an accelerated contract for 12 initial production systems in July 2008 and a contract with options for an additional 20 systems in April 2010.  In fall of 2010, the Army began deploying EQ-36 systems to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Lockheed Martin submitted its bid for this current contract in September 2011.

Work on the Q-53 radar contract will be performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Syracuse, N.Y., Moorestown, N.J., Akron, Ohio, and Clearwater, Fla.