Lockheed Martin Persistent Threat Detection System Team Wins Aviation Week Award

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The Lockheed Martin Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) team was presented a 2015 Aviation Week Program Excellence Award for its role in sustaining the U.S. Army PTDS system.

PTDS is an Army aerostat-based system that serves as the U.S. Army’s “eyes in the sky” – leveraging advanced sensors to provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications in support of forward-deployed troops.

“PTDS has saved countless lives through its capability to identify threats, track insurgents, and enhance overall readiness for the men and women in theater,” said Dr. Rob Smith, vice president of C4ISR for Lockheed Martin. "We’re honored by this award and the role we play supporting our troops. We have an exceptional partner – the U.S. Army.”

Aviation Week presented the award to the PTDS team in the “System Level Sustainment” category.

Since 2004, Lockheed Martin has supplied, sustained and operated PTDS aerostats that have been deployed by the U.S. Army to help protect coalition forces overseas. Providing panoramic 24/7 surveillance in extremely challenging weather, PTDS offers a persistent surveillance mission capability not possible with manned and unmanned aircraft which encounter flight-time limitations dictated by fuel consumption and payload capacity. With the troop drawdown, more of the systems are becoming available for other mission areas. In 2014, Lockheed Martin worked with the U.S. Army to deliver PTDS operations to the Department of Homeland Security for border security in the southern United States.

“PTDS was named one of the Army’s “Greatest Inventions of 2005” by the Department of the Army Engineers and Scientists” said Paula Hartley, vice president of Advance Product Solutions for Lockheed Martin. “Since then, PTDS has repeatedly proven its mission value while continuously improving affordability through operational efficiencies and reduced cycle time.”