Lockheed Martin Contract Will Expand Vessel Traffic Safety

Lockheed Martin has received a $2 million contract extension from the Republic of Turkey to provide a Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) for the Istanbul and Canakkale Straits. The original contract, signed in October 1999, was worth more than $20 million. The contract extension allows Lockheed Martin to install three more remote radar sites on the Marmara Sea to supplement the two Vessel Traffic Centers (VTCs) and 16 remote sensor sites along the straits in Turkey. This contract extension represents the last phase of the contract. Installation of the additional radar sites is scheduled for the middle of next year. The Marmara Sea connects the Black Sea to the east with the Aegean Sea to the west, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea. Istanbul is located at the entrance of the Bosphorus. The Istanbul and Canakkale straits are considered to be among the most challenging waterways in the world to navigate because of the large amount of maritime traffic passing in close proximity to Istanbul, home to 12 million people. The VTMIS will monitor the 45,000 vessels per year moving between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The VTMIS integrates radar, video, meteorological, hydrographic and navigational sensors to allow the vessel traffic system operator on the shore to monitor and advise vessel traffic, ensuring its orderly and safe passage through the straits.