Lockheed Martin Wins Aviation Week Laureate Award for Auto ACAS

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Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory were presented a 2016 Aviation Week Laureate Award for the development and flight testing of the Automated Air Collision Avoidance System (Auto ACAS). Aviation Week presented the award during a March 3 event in Washington, D.C.

The Auto ACAS predicts collisions and automatically maneuvers fighter aircraft at the last instant to prevent imminent mid-air collisions in the highly dynamic Air Combat Maneuvering training environment. Once integrated with the currently fielded Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS), the integrated system will prevent the two leading causes of fighter aircraft losses: controlled flight into terrain and midair collisions. The Office of the Secretary of Defense estimates this system will save a total of 34 aircraft and 25 pilot lives, with a cost savings of $2.3 billion through 2030.

“I cannot say enough about the combined U.S. government-Lockheed Martin team that pushed the extremes of flight safety to fully develop and validate this revolutionary flight safety system,” said Ed Griffin, Senior Program Manager at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works®. “Thanks to the team’s innovative approach, the system provides nuisance free operation without interfering with routine combat training tactics or normal pilot operations.”

The Auto ACAS was developed jointly by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works®, in collaboration with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Personnel & Readiness, the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, and the Air Force Test Center.

Aviation Week’s annual Laureate Awards recognize the extraordinary achievements of individuals and teams in aviation, aerospace, and defense. These accomplishments embody the spirit of exploration, innovation and vision that inspire others to strive for progress, change and leadership.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that – with the addition of Sikorsky – employs approximately 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.