Vendors stick with air traffic control system

The vendor teams of ARINC Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. will continue to

the next level of competition for an automated oceanic air traffic control

system, the Federal Aviation Administration announced today.

ARINC and Lockheed will demonstrate their abilities to meet requirements

set out in the second formal phase of the FAA's Advanced Technologies and

Oceanic Procedures acquisition, which will start when a screening information

request is released in June.

ATOP asks for a system that is already developed to replace the current

oceanic systems with an integrated, modernized solution for controlling

air traffic as it crosses oceans.

The current system uses a system of paper strips that controllers use

to track the progress of aircraft through oceanic airspace.

A final award to a single vendor team is expected in late 2000 or early

2001.

Diversified International Sciences Corp. also competed in the first

round of demonstrations and evaluations.

Lockheed is partnered with Airways New Zealand and Adacel Technologies

Ltd., supplier of Datapath Oceanic Air Traffic Management System. ARINC's

teammates are Air Services Australia and Harris Corp.