ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin facilities in Florida have marked the delivery to the U.S. Army of the 1,000th targeting and pilotage system for Apache attack helicopters.
The Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor gives Apache pilots advanced long-range, electro-optical precision engagement and pilotage capabilities in day-night flight and in adverse weather conditions, improves performance and reliability over legacy TADS/PNVS systems by more than 150 percent and reduces maintenance actions by nearly 60 percent, the company said.
"The M-TADS/PNVS is a game-changer on the battlefield and has ensured Longbow Apaches remain dominant in support of our ground soldiers," said Col. Shane Openshaw, U.S. Army project manager for the Apache Attack Helicopter. "This combat-tested system has shown, through over five years of continuous combat operations since the first unit was fielded, that an Apache equipped with M-TADS/PNVS is the most lethal and survivable attack helicopter in the world."
The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin the original M-TADS/PNVS contract in 2003, and the first system was delivered to a U.S. Army Apache in theater in 2005.
Electronics assembly of M-TADS/PNVS is performed at the Lockheed Martin facility in Ocala, Fla. Final assembly is performed at Lockheed Martin's facility in Orlando.
