LOCKHEED MARTIN SELECTED FOR NEXT STAGE OF NIMROD ‘R’
UPGRADE PROGRAMME
3 May 2004
“Project Helix” Will Upgrade
Reconnaissance Capabilities
LONDON, England May
03, 2004 – Lockheed
Martin UK announced
today that it has
been selected by the MOD
for an
assessment phase
contract to compete
for a major upgrade
of the Royal Air
Force (RAF) fleet of
Nimrod R Mk1
aircraft. Designated
'Project Helix,'
this intelligence
upgrade to the
British Nimrod
platform focuses on
maintaining the
capability of the
Nimrod R out to 2025
and includes
upgrades to the
aircraft mission
systems, associated
ground stations and
training facilities.
The Project Helix
programme has a
projected value in
excess of £400
million over a
13-year period. The
Nimrod R is the RAF
electronic
reconnaissance
aircraft that
examines routine
radio and radar
emissions and
provides electronic
combat support to
military commanders.
“We are delighted
the MOD
has selected
Lockheed Martin for
the next phase of
Project Helix,” said
Ian Stopps, chief
executive, Lockheed
Martin UK. “This is
a programme that
capitalises on our
ability to
‘reach-back’ to
advanced
technologies
developed in our
businesses in the US
and support these
with our proven
systems integration
and programme
management skills
developed here in
the UK on programmes
such as Merlin,
Soothsayer and CEC.
We will be teaming
with the best of UK
companies to offer a
fully compliant,
cost-effective bid
to the MOD
which
will be effective,
affordable,
supportable and
low-risk.”
The first part of
the assessment phase
will last for nine
months, followed by
a down-select to two
contractors for a
requirements and
system stage in
2005. A single team
will then proceed to
a risk reduction
stage in 2006. This
first increment of
the implementation
phase – worth
approximately £200
million – will be
awarded in early
2007.
“We look forward
to working with the
Ministry of Defence
to ensure that the
Nimrod platform is
upgraded with
leading-edge
reconnaissance
technologies and
remains an integral
component of our
mutual defence. Our
technologies are
highly complimentary
to the mission needs
of the Helix
programme. With our
decades of
experience
developing
intelligence,
surveillance and
reconnaissance
technologies, many
of our innovative
capabilities are
readily
transportable to
this effort,” said
Jerry Lindfelt, vice
president for
Lockheed Martin’s
Surveillance &
Reconnaissance
Systems.
#
# #
Lockheed Martin
UK, a unit of
Lockheed Martin
Corporation, is a
leader in systems
integration working
on major programmes
spanning the
aerospace, defence,
civil and commercial
sectors. In the UK,
Lockheed Martin has
annual sales in the
range of £400-600
million working with
more than 75
business partners.
Lockheed Martin
employs
approximately 1,000
people at over 10 UK
facilities including
London, Havant,
Southampton, Yeovil,
Swindon, Hertford,
Bristol, Reading and
Cornwall.
#
# #
Headquartered in
Bethesda, Md.,
Lockheed Martin
employs about
130,000 people
worldwide and is
principally engaged
in the research,
design, development,
manufacture and
integration of
advanced technology
systems, products
and services. The
corporation reported
2003 sales of $31.8
billion.
#
# #
Notes to
editors:
1. Although the
current planning
assumptions are to
continue the use of
the Nimrod R Mk1
aircraft for Project
HELIX, other
alternatives are
actively being
examined during the
Assessment phase.
2. The Project is
run within the
Defence Logistics
Organisation by the
Equipment Support (Air)'s
Nimrod Integrated
Project Team (IPT),
based at RAF Wyton.
3. Originally
designed as a
maritime patrol and
anti-submarine
aircraft, the Nimrod
has become famous
for its role in
support of many
air-sea rescues.
Less well known is
the secondary role
for which a number
of aircraft were
adapted. The
original maritime
equipment was
removed from the
airframe and
replaced with a
highly sophisticated
and sensitive suite
of systems used for
electronic
reconnaissance that
provides combat
support to the
military commander.
Contact Lockheed
Martin US:
Suzanne Smith, 303/
971-2322;
suzanne.m.smith@lmco.com
Contact Lockheed
Martin UK:
Chris Trippick
+44(0)207 798 2856
(mob) +44 (0)7905
356 646 or email:
chris.trippick@lmco.com
or
Jeremy Greaves, on:
+44(0)2392 44 3977
(mob) +44(0)7887
506338 email:
jeremy.greaves@lmco.com
For additional
information on the
Lockheed Martin
Corporation, visit
our Web site:
www.lockheedmartin.com
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