by Thomas G.
I started my Lockheed Martin career in
1968 with the legacy company UNIVAC located in Eagan, Minnesota. Our team
developed command and control software for surface ships, and then for
subsurface vessels. We interfaced the sensors and weapons and support systems
and fighters with computers and software. We were on the forefront of
transforming the United States from the World War II Navy to the Navy of recent
years.
I worked on the Royal Australian Navy DDG
Tactical Data System (AN/UYK-7 computers and the CMS-2 programming language).
Once the initial work was completed at Eagan, I supported the products on site
in Canberra, Australia. This was one of the first successful international
programs for the Eagan-based enterprise.
Upon my return, I joined the design team
for the AN/UYK-43 and AN/UYK-44 computers. These machines served on many and
various naval vessels.
The next contract was the Canadian Patrol
Frigate (CPF) program, a large program with significant international content
employing hundreds of people with many coordination challenges between the
engineering disciples at two international locations.
The United States Navy contracted us in
1989 to provide an upgrade to the P-3C with new and modern software and
computing device. This was a legacy program. New high-order programming
languages were introduced, and software engineering was transitioned to a
quality process oriented discipline.
Then the generation of
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and hardware ended the long
development phases and life span of product. Technology infusion is now planned
and exercised from the very beginning of contract award.
