Manassas Journal Messenger | Lockheed Martin, Ocean PowerTech team up

Lockheed Martin, Manassas, and Ocean Power Technologies Inc. have signed a new marketing agreement for joint sales opportunities. The new pact will use Lockheed Martin’s experience in undersea systems and Technologies extensive experience in the design, development and support of wave energy technology. “We are pleased to announce this agreement to work with Lockheed Martin in identifying and development marketing opportunities that draw on key capabilities of each company,’ said George W. Taylor, CEO Of Technologies. “We expect our PowerBuoy technology for generating renewable power for ocean application, combined with Lockheed’s advanced technology for ocean sensing and communication, will open new markets for ocean applications.” “There is a growing interest from the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies in renewable energy sources for the U.S.,” said John O’Neill, vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s Undersea Systems line of business. “With the need to reduce life cycle costs, Lockheed view this partnership as providing key enabling technologies for our products and markets.” Both companies anticipate pursing opportunities in autonomous maritime sensing, ocean observation, unmanned undersea vehicles and other related areas for both government and non-government commercial customers. The two companies have worked together since 2003 on systems for maritime surveillance consisting of Technologies unique small-scale, wave energy converter integrated with Lockheed’s advanced acoustic sensors, signal processing and communications systems. In September 2004, the companies successfully demonstrated that PowerBuoy could provide continuous, renewable power for Lockheed’s sensor system. In January, Technologies was awarded an initial Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the design of an ocean-based system for the detection and tracking of sea-going vessels. Lockheed provided the acoustic sensor array technology under a subcontract from Technologies.