LOCKHEED MARTIN UK WIN NEXT STAGE OF BATTLE MANAGEMENT COMMAND AND CONTROL PROGRAMME

London, England, August 14, 2006

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced Team Athena – led by Lockheed Martin UK - as the as the contractor for the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) programme.

Team Athena will now further develop their solution as part of the £30 million Assessment Phase.

LEAPP will provide UK Forces operating in the Land Environment with a clear and accurate picture of the current air situation during operations and will mark a fundamental change in the way ground forces are coordinated and future battles fought.

By providing decision-quality data in near real-time the Team Athena solution will give commanders on the ground the ability to co-ordinate, plan and strike effectively. In addition, by improving situational awareness it will reduce the chances of ‘blue-on-blue’ incidents.

Ian Stopps, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin UK said: “We are naturally extremely pleased that Team Athena has been selected as the Contractor for LEAPP. We are looking forward to working with the MoD as we further develop the technologies and establish the industrial pathway.

“LEAPP is important not only in terms of the information it will provide to Land Commanders, but also as it represents a significant step towards Network Enabled Capability. We will ensure LEAPP can fuse data effectively across the ground and air environment, providing a tailored level of situational awareness and associated benefits that have never before been possible.”

Dr Simon Dakin, MoD’s Joint Sensors and Engagement Networks Team Leader, said: "I really appreciate all the hard work Lockheed Martin and the team here have put in to get us to this point. It's a significant achievement to have placed this contract within the ten per cent confidence timescales and now we face the further challenge of successfully achieving Main Gate. The relationship we have developed with Lockheed Martin puts us in a good position to go forward together."

Team Athena has implemented the Defence Industrial Strategy as a framework for development and is providing a solution which maintains UK sovereignty and security.

The team is led by Lockheed Martin and includes BAE Systems, Advanced Systems Architectures, Systems Consultants Services Limited, SML, Ericsson Microwave Systems AB, AgustaWestland, EDS, Rockwell Collins UK and QinetiQ.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile. It also has considerable experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing. The company makes significant contributions to all major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

Lockheed Martin UK, a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, is a leader in systems integration working on major programmes spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors. Lockheed Martin works with more than 100 business partners and employs over 1500 people at 15 sites across the UK.

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Media Contact:

John Fyall 02392 443 342; email: john.fyall@lmco.com