GD & Marport C-Tech Partner to Target Underwater Acoustics Market

• Agreement includes multi-year contract for development of new naval sonar products

(Ottawa, Ontario and St. John's, Newfoundland, November 24, 2009) -- General Dynamics Canada, a pioneer in the development of military acoustics processing and display solutions, and Marport C-Tech Ltd., a leading sonar manufacturer for underwater defence, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) setting the stage for the joint development and marketing of a suite of next generation underwater acoustic products to support underwater military Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. This partnership will position General Dynamics Canada and Marport to address increasing global market demand for underwater ISR systems as militaries around the world rebuild and retool their fleets.

Associated with today's announcement, General Dynamics Canada has awarded Marport a multi-year research and development contract for new naval sonar products that leverage Marport's Software Defined Sonar(r) (SDS) technology. Initially designed to address commercial fishing needs, SDS is an innovative, cost-effective and flexible sonar platform, offering a technically advanced alternative to traditional hardware-based sonar product development. The new sonar products developed with Marport's SDS technology will integrate into General Dynamics Canada's Open Architecture Acoustics Processing Application Suite to provide advanced processing capabilities on a tailored user interface designed by airborne and naval acoustics operators.


"The tables have turned in the military market from a technology perspective. Where 20 years ago military development would filter into commercial applications, today we're seeing increasing military demand to leverage commercial technology for next generation military applications," said Mike Greenley, vice president of Business Development and Strategic Planning for General Dynamics Canada. "This type of dual-use technology enables us to offer very competitively priced products, and with this partnership, we are ideally positioned to address the sweet spot of a growing global market for cost-effective, easily upgradeable software-centric sonar and acoustic processing solutions."

Source : General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD)