AVIATION WEEK Program Excellence Award Winners
Lockheed Martin THAAD program
The THAAD team was chosen winner for the research/design/development Program Excellence Award. The program is known for an open flow of communication and coordination within the corporate team, with customers and with suppliers. It was recognized for two best practices - Fly as you Test/Test as You Fly and Pit Stop. Lockheed Martin's Theater High Altitude Area Defense program is an element of the Ballistic Missile Defense Systems. It provides deployable ground-based missile defense components that deepen, extend and complement the BMDS to any Combatant Commander to defeat ballistic missiles of all types and ranges while in all phases of flight.
Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program
Tied with the Common Cockpit in the production/sustainment category is Northrop Grumman's Defense Support Program (DSP). In an odd twist, two programs scored the exact same number on our 100-point scale. DSP is the cornerstone of the US Government's Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment System to detect strategic missile launches. The DSP satellite system is now into its 36th year of operation, with satellite longevity that has provided more than 155 satellite-years of on-orbit performance beyond its specified design life requirements. DSP has evolved through four major system upgrades and delivered 23 satellites.
MH-60 Multi-Year Common Cockpit program from Lockheed Martin
Tied with Northrop Grumman's Defense Support Program in the production/sustainment category is the MH-60 Multi-Year Common Cockpit program. In an odd twist, two programs scored the exact same number on our 100-point scale. Lockheed Martin's MH-60 Multi-year Common Cockpit is being installed in the MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters for use across diverse missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, vertical replenishment and airborne mine countermeasures. This team generated Program Office Directives and established a tool to automate distribution of the directives. New team members go through a rigorous orientation process that allows them to evaluate processes for ease of use and to identify where efficiencies can be gained.
