Lockheed C-5M Galaxy Becomes A Superstar

MARIETTA, Ga., September 2nd, 2010 — Another Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-5 is being transformed into the world’s most capable strategic airlifter, the C-5M Super Galaxy. With more than 70 improvements, the Super Galaxy is rapidly becoming the linchpin of success in achieving global reach. The next C-5M Super Galaxy will be delivered on Sept. 30, 2010 and will be stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The C-5M Super Galaxy recently achieved a 96 percent departure reliability rate while delivering critical cargo to troops in Afghanistan and was called upon to carry the 7.5-ton Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to be launched on the last space shuttle flight next year.

Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

Alenia Aeronautica, Avio and Lockheed Martin sign five-year contract to support Italian Air Force’s C-130J Fleet

Lockheed Martins New Multi-Purpose HELLFIRE II Missile

ORLANDO, FL, August 30th, 2010 — Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] multi-purpose AGM 114R HELLFIRE II missile struck and destroyed a stationary tank target in its third proof-of-principle flight test, a ground-launch test configured to simulate launch from an unmanned aerial system (UAS). The R model, or “Romeo” missile, features a multi-purpose warhead that enables a single HELLFIRE missile to cover all of the target sets of the currently fielded laser-guided variants.

A team consisting of personnel from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Army Joint Attack Munitions Systems program office located in Huntsville, AL, conducted the test at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The missile, armed with a live warhead, was fired at a stationary M60 tank located 6.4 kilometers downrange. Immediately before launch, test equipment emulating an airborne UAS launch platform sent targeting data and warhead delay selection commands for an armored target to the missile.

The missile was launched in lock-on-after-launch mode with a high trajectory to simulate launch from a UAS. It used its inertial measurement unit and targeting data to fly to the approximate location of the target before beginning its search for the laser signal generated by the ground-based targeting laser. The missile acquired the laser spot and struck the target within inches of the laser aimpoint.

“One of the most noticeable operational enhancements in the AGM-114R missile is that the pilot can now select the type of lethality effects while on the move and without having to have a pre-set mission load prior to departure, ” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Brown, HELLFIRE Systems product manager. “This is a big deal in insurgency warfare, as witnessed in Afghanistan where the Taliban are fighting in the open and simultaneously planning their next attacks in amongst the local populace using fixed structure facilities to screen their presence. The AGM-114R is currently that ‘one missile’ that can service all targets.”

“The success of this flight test demonstrates that the HELLFIRE Romeo can defeat HELLFIRE’s toughest target; a heavily armored vehicle,” said Ken Musculus, director of Air-to-Ground Missile System programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “It can fly to an area before acquiring a target, which enables a high-altitude platform to strike targets behind it without additional maneuvering, and defeat a tank when it gets there. We’ve worked closely with our customer to develop a next-generation all-in-one HELLFIRE, and we’re pleased that we’re that much closer to getting it into the hands of the Warfighter.”

Lockheed Martin performs all work on behalf of the HELLFIRE Systems Limited Liability Company, and will produce the missiles at its manufacturing facilities in Troy, AL, and Ocala, FL.

Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

United Kingdom Awards Lockheed Martin $5 Million Order for Desert Hawk III Unmanned Aircraft Systems

DENVER, August 24th, 2010 — The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $5.1 million contract for additional Desert Hawk III unmanned aircraft vehicles. 

Desert Hawk III’s improved payloads maximize target detection and recognition by providing 360-degree — daytime and nighttime — coverage in a common turret package. These latest generation payloads also include a Lockheed Martin-developed navigation system that delivers more refined target position information and superior image stability to the troops.

Awarded by the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organization, the latest contract calls for Lockheed Martin to deliver the Desert Hawk III air vehicles — which as a result of ongoing obsolescence management and technology advancements in this area feature enhanced 360-degree infrared and 360-degree, 10-times zoom electro optics — by Fall 2010. 

“We are extremely pleased with the enhanced capability that these new payloads bring to Desert Hawk III and the British Army,” said Duncan Robbins, program manager for mini-UAV systems, UK MOD DE&S.  “Desert Hawk’s latest enhancements allow it to operate more effectively in difficult conditions and provide our soldiers with greater situational awareness in a very timely manner.”

“The battle-proven Desert Hawk III can operate in high winds, extended altitude and extreme temperatures, making it very effective in areas such as Afghanistan,” said Mark Swymeler, a vice president for Lockheed Martin’s Ship and Aviation Systems line of business. “Unlike some other UAVs, it is extremely quiet and virtually undetectable beyond 150 meters.”

Equipped with steerable, plug-and-play imaging payloads, the Desert Hawk has provided the British Army with greater situational awareness capabilities in Afghanistan since 2006.

The eight-pound Desert Hawk III features an open architecture environment and consists of a light weight, hand-launched, ruggedized air vehicle with snap-on Plug and Playloads^TM, a portable ground station and a remote video terminal.  The snap-on payload capability allows a single operator to swap sensors on the air vehicle in less than one minute to meet immediate and rapidly changing mission requirements. 

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.  The Corporation’s 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.

Source: Lockheed Martin

U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin Team Complete GPS III Design Phase Ahead Of Schedule

Next Generation GPS III Program Shifts to Production Phase

NEWTOWN, Pa., August 20th, 2010 — The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System, known as GPS III, has successfully completed the program’s Critical Design Review (CDR) phase two months ahead of the baseline schedule. CDR completion, the program’s most significant milestone to-date, validates the detailed GPS III design to ensure it meets warfighter and civil requirements, and allows the program to begin the production phase.

More than 350 representatives from the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning Systems Wing, the GPS III contractor team, as well as user communities from the Department of Defense, Air Force Space Command, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration participated in a four-day Space Vehicle CDR at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company’s new Patriot Center in Newtown, Pa.

Completion of the CDR phase represents the culmination of many rigorous assembly, subsystem, element, space vehicle and system level CDR events and validates the overall design maturity of the GPS III Space Vehicle and Lockheed Martin’s readiness to enter production.

“With a focus on strong systems engineering and program management fundamentals, the team successfully executed a high-quality design review, which included 65 detailed CDR events,” said Col. Bernard J. Gruber, U.S. Air Force GPS Wing Commander. “Having completed the milestone ahead of schedule with excellent results, the program is on firm footing, and I am confident the team will successfully deliver this critical next generation system to enhance GPS capabilities for millions of military and civilian users around the globe.”

GPS III will improve position, navigation and timing services and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy and reliability. The next generation GPS IIIA satellites will guarantee signals three times more accurate than current GPS spacecraft and provide three times more power for military users, while also adding a new civil signal (L1C) that is designed to be interoperable with other global navigation satellite systems. The GPS IIIA flexible design will allow for low-risk, reliable and affordable capability insertion for the future GPS IIIB and IIIC spacecraft.

“This successful review demonstrated with high confidence that our low-risk GPS III design will meet warfighter and civil user requirements and that we are fully prepared to enter the production phase of this vitally important program,” said Joe Trench, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of Navigation Systems. “Working in partnership with the Air Force, we look forward to building on our momentum to achieve our customer’s cost, schedule and performance requirements for this essential program.”

Lockheed Martin, Newtown, Pa., along with teammates ITT of Clifton, N.J., and General Dynamics of Scottsdale, Ariz., is working under a $3 billion Development and Production contract awarded by the Global Positioning Systems Wing of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif., which includes production of up to 12 GPS IIIA satellites. The team is on track to launch the first GPS IIIA satellite in 2014.

“ITT’s strong commitment and support of the recent successful CDR affirms the strength of the Lockheed Martin GPS III team,” said Mark Pisani, vice president and general manager of Positioning, Navigation and Timing Systems, ITT Geospatial Systems. “ITT looks forward to working with the entire GPS III team to develop and integrate the navigation payloads for the next generation of navigation satellites.”

The GPS constellation provides critical situational awareness and precision weapon guidance for the military and supports a wide range of civil, scientific and commercial functions – from air traffic control to navigation systems in cars, cell phones and wristwatches. GPS is increasing productivity in areas as diverse as farming, mining, construction, surveying, package delivery and supply chain management. The system is also enhancing public safety by reducing response times for ambulances, firefighters and other emergency services.

Air Force Space Command’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

First Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Launched Successfully

National asset will provide significant new communications capabilities to warfighter

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, August 14th, 2010 — The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. The satellite is the most technologically advanced military communications satellite ever developed and will provide significantly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected, communications for warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.

“This morning’s successful launch is testimony to the dedication, skill and operational excellence of the entire government-industry AEHF team,” said Col. Michael Sarchet, commander of the Protected Satellite Communications Group at the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. “For over 15 years, the Milstar constellation has served as the backbone of secure military communications, helping the military operate in a secure mode without concern of enemy interference. AEHF will significantly enhance our national security space architecture, and we eagerly anticipate providing this new capability to the warfighter.”

A single AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates can be up to five times higher than Milstar’s highest speed. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communications, such as higher-quality real-time video and faster access to battlefield maps and targeting data. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF will also provide the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the National Command Authority including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict. The AEHF constellation will also serve international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

 “Our number one priority is delivering mission success for our customer,” said Mike Davis, Lockheed Martin’s AEHF vice president. “The AEHF system will vastly improve battlefield communications, delivering secure, real-time, connectivity to a greater number forces in the field, and their commanders anywhere on the globe. We look forward to successfully executing the next steps necessary to making this national asset operational for the warfighter.”

The AEHF team is led by the U.S. Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the AEHF prime contractor, space and ground segments provider as well as system integrator, with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., as the payload provider.

“We are proud to be part of the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin team that has worked so hard to launch this capability vital to our warfighters,” said Stuart Linsky, vice president, Protected SatCom Programs, for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector.

Source: Lockheed Martin

U.S. Air Force Ready to Launch First Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Built by Lockheed Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., August 12th, 2010 — The U.S. Air Force’s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite, designed and built by a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team, is ready to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Saturday, August 14. The launch window is 7:07 to 9:06 a.m. EDT.

The AEHF system will provide survivable, protected, assured, communications to the U.S. government, warfighters and international partners, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands. Building upon the success of the current five-satellite Milstar constellation, AEHF will provide 10 times greater total capacity and offer channel data rates six times higher than that of Milstar II satellites. The higher data rates permit transmission of tactical military communications such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

“AEHF represents a new era of global protected communications that will provide significantly improved, assured connectivity to a greater number of warfighters,” said Mike Davis, Lockheed Martin’s AEHF vice president. “The team has executed a smooth and efficient transition to the launch pad and we look forward to achieving mission success for our customer.”

The AEHF team is led by the U.S. Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the AEHF prime contractor and system manager, with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., as the payload provider.

Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Hypersonic ATACMS Motor Boosts Experimental Scramjet in First Flight

DALLAS, TX and SACRAMENTO, CA, August 10th, 2010 — Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rocket motor successfully boosted the experimental X-51A WaveRider beyond Mach 4.5, the speed at which a scramjet will start and begin to provide thrust. The successful boost helped the X-51 hypersonic scramjet engine to accelerate to a historic Mach 5, a first for the vehicle.

The X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for extended hypersonic flight durations. The successful boost with the ATACMS rocket motor will allow for future advancements in hypersonic flight.

In this test, the modified ATACMS motor was air-launched from a B-52 aircraft at 50,000 feet, and data collected validates its performance well beyond the original design specifications. This was the first time an ATACMS rocket motor has been used as a booster for an air-launched vehicle. More tests using the ATACMS motor are planned.

The modified motor included a Boeing designed lightweight, high performance exit cone which was produced by Aerojet, a GenCorp [NYSE:GY] company, for Lockheed Martin. The program is managed by a Boeing and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne team for the U.S. Air Force and DARPA.

“The ATACMS rocket motor has proved its power in combat, and now we’re happy to see it performing a mission that advances hypervelocity flight technology,” said Scott Arnold, vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

“We are proud to have played a part in this new milestone in hypersonic flight and to have been given the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to modify existing motor designs for future applications,” said John Myers, vice president of Tactical Programs for Aerojet.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Marietta Facility Kicks Off F-35 Lightning II Center Wing Assembly Production

MARIETTA, Ga., July 28th, 2010 — Officials at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here formally announced the start of F-35 Lightning II center wing production operations at the plant during a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday.

Actual center wing assembly work for the multi-role 5th generation aircraft will begin July 30 in the Marietta site’s massive B-1 aircraft production building. The F-35 work area will occupy more than 320,000 square feet, and the assembly activity is projected to employ more than 600 workers by 2016 as the program ramps up to full-rate production of one aircraft per workday.

The F-35 is a true international program with eight countries partnering with the U.S. to develop and produce the aircraft. Final assembly of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter takes place at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Establishing the program’s center wing assembly operation in Marietta helps alleviate capacity constraints at the Fort Worth location while taking advantage of available manufacturing capacity and 5th generation aircraft production expertise the Marietta site offers.

“This is a very proud day for us in Marietta as we begin to support production of the largest military aircraft acquisition program in history,” said Lee Rhyant, executive vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Marietta site. “We have state-of-the-art facilities, and our workers have the skill, the dedication and even the 5^th generation fighter expertise to build this critical component. We’re ready to support the F-35 now and in the future; it’s time to get to work.”

According to Larry Lawson, executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program for Lockheed Martin, the Marietta center wing assembly operation will play an important role in meeting customers’ needs for an affordable, high-quality product.

“Marietta’s available facilities, tooling and worker experience with the F-22 are key enablers for F-35 program production,” said Lawson. “The operations here will help us realize greater efficiencies, deliver quality and meet F-35 production rates.”

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5^th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Demonstrate New Docking System Technology

Orion Hardware to be Flown and Tested Aboard NASA’s Last Shuttle Mission, STS-134

BOULDER, Colo, July 26th, 2010 — Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and NASA conducted a successful technology demonstration of an inventive navigation system that will make docking operations safer and easier for spacecraft flying to the International Space Station (ISS). The demonstration that took place at the Ball facility in Boulder, Colo., showcased the dynamic nature of the sensors by simulating crewed and uncrewed docking operations.

This docking navigation system prototype was developed collaboratively by NASA, Ball and Lockheed Martin and will be tested by astronauts aboard STS-134 in an unprecedented on-orbit maneuver during the space shuttle mission to the ISS in February 2011 as part of the Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation (STORRM) Development Test Objective (DTO). On Flight Day 11 of the mission, the shuttle crew will undock from the ISS and then re-rendezvous with the station on an Orion-like approach.

NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle is at the peak of its development phase, which has spurred several new technologies and innovations in composites, structures, thermal protection systems, avionics and navigation systems. Because of its capability to determine shapes, intensity, and distance, STORRM’s sensing technology may also improve a variety of Earth-bound applications such as terrain mapping, deforestation monitoring and transportation hazardous avoidance systems.

STORRM’s hardware consists of two sensors: the eye-safe flash LiDAR Vision Navigation Sensor (VNS) and the high definition Docking Camera (DC) developed by Ball, as well as avionics and flight software developed by NASA Langley Research Center. Both sensors will be used on the Orion spacecraft to provide real-time three-dimensional images to the crew with a resolution 16 times higher than the current shuttle sensors. This next generation system also provides data from as far away as three miles — three times the range of the shuttle docking system. The single-system design provides the required docking accuracy and range capability necessary to meet Orion’s crew safety, mass, volume and power constraints.

“The effective demonstration of Ball’s VNS and DC on the ground makes us all the more eager to see the STS-134 astronauts test the system aboard Endeavour,” said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace.

The STORRM sensing functions that will be demonstrated during docking, undocking and re-rendezvous operations on STS-134 have been identified as a critical technology needed for space exploration missions of the future. During STS-134, data will be collected and the crew members will be able to monitor the data through the STORRM software application on a computer. In addition, screen snapshots of the data will be sent to mission control by S-Band video for the STORRM team to evaluate during the mission.

“This innovative technology enhances the Orion team’s ability to significantly improve crew safety for human space flight,” said Larry Price, Orion deputy program manager for Lockheed Martin. “Once proven successful on orbit, this system will enable us to continue on our path forward to safely fly Orion in 2013.”

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion Project and leads the industry team that includes major subcontractors as well as a network of minor subcontractors and small businesses working at 88 facilities in 28 states. In addition, the program contracts with more than 500 small businesses across the United States through its expansive supply chain network.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin F-16 Is Ready For The Future As The World’s Most Advanced 4th Generation Fighter

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 20th, 2010 — The versions of the F-16 being delivered to customers now are the most advanced 4^th Generation multi-role fighter aircraft currently available on the international market and are building on the F-16’s reputation for effectiveness and value,  the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] director of business development for the program said today.

“The F-16 continues as a modern, highly capable, affordable and supportable fighter. The program is healthy and active, with firm production through 2013 and a strong likelihood of new orders that will extend the line for several more years,” said Bill McHenry, director of business development for F-16 programs, in remarks to reporters at the Farnborough International Airshow. McHenry also added that there is a firm backlog of 86 F-16 aircraft, including a recent order from Egypt for 20 new, Advanced Block 50/52 aircraft, the sixth follow-on buy for this country.

More than 4,450 F-16s have been delivered worldwide since the program’s inception more than 30 years ago – including 53 follow-on buys by 14 countries.

In addition to the F-16 production programs, Lockheed Martin continues to develop the F-16 for the future by integrating advanced technologies through upgrade programs for existing F-16s to ensure interoperability with the world’s only 5^th Generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

“This integration of advanced technologies for fielded and new aircraft provides an opportunity for F-16 operators to benefit from the latest developments in technology and capabilities for fighter aircraft,” McHenry said. “This synergy will parallel technology and provide a natural bridge from the 4^th Generation of fighters to the 5^th Generation.”

Aircraft now being produced for Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco and Egypt are the Advanced Block 50/52 F-16C/D configuration. The United Arab Emirates was the launch customer for the Block 60 F-16 E/F version, and is the platform basis for the proposed variant called the F-16IN Super Viper for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft competition.

McHenry said the F-16 offers the latest technologies and capabilities available today – including AESA radar, day-night, all-weather, standoff, autonomous, air intercept and precision strike. These aircraft have the latest in avionics, sensors and weapons, plus user-friendly cockpits and systems integration that provide pilots with high situational awareness.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Rewinged P-3 Orion Takes Flight

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 20th, 2010 — The first P-3 Orion to receive the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications was flown for the first time on July 19 from the Lockheed Martin facility here. This aircraft, without its familiar radar rotodome, was redelivered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection in ceremonies on July 13. The P-3 MLU program replaces the outer wings, center wing lower surface, horizontal stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer leading edges.

Source: Lockheed Martin

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