EADS North America has received a contract from Lockheed Martin to supply its TRS-3D radar for the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship. As part of a recent Department of Defense award, Lockheed Martin will construct up to 10 Littoral Combat Ships through 2015. Under the terms of its contract, EADS North America will deliver the first radar unit to Lockheed Martin for installation in 2012.

The TRS-3D is a standard naval multimode surface and air surveillance and target acquisition radar. Designed for the complex littoral environment, it provides excellent performance over both land and water, minimizing clutter interference in order to more effectively detect multiple surface and air targets simultaneously. Supported by its highly flexible design, the TRS-3D radar integrates with a variety of shipboard systems and C4ISR suites to provide surveillance, weapon fire control and helicopter detection and guidance.

"The TRS-3D is the perfect radar for light combatants operating in littoral waters," said Sean O'Keefe, CEO of EADS North America. "It can perform multiple functions without adding unnecessary weight, making it suitable for a wide range of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard missions."

EADS North America already has delivered two TRS-3D radars to Lockheed Martin for the first and third Littoral Combat Ships, USS Freedom and Fort Worth. USS Freedom completed its maiden deployment in 2010, which included the successful interception of drug vessels in the Caribbean. Installation of the radar on the Fort Worth will take place in April at the Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette, Wis.

As the Navy's newest class of warship, the agile Littoral Combat Ship is designed specifically for a variety of missions in coastal waters that are often too shallow for larger ships. The ship will primarily be tasked with countering threats from submarines, surface vessels, and mines, as well as anti-piracy and humanitarian missions.

In addition to the U.S. Navy's fleet, EADS North America also is providing the TRS-3D radar to the U.S. Coast Guard for its fleet of National Security Cutters, of which three are in operation and two more are in the process of integration.