The Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team has selected Martin-Baker as the ejection seat supplier for the JSF -- a decision based on the seat's high technology, safety and cost advantages, Lockheed Martin officials said.

The seat will be installed in the JSF Preferred Weapon System Concept -- the full-scale production aircraft.

Lockheed Martin chose the Martin-Baker Mk16E following a 12-month open competition. It is based on a variant of the Eurofighter and NASA T-38N ejection seats.

"The Mk16E provides a broad base of technological advancement with minimum cost and risk," said Frank J. Cappuccio, vice president and program manager for the Lockheed Martin JSF. "We consider the Mk16E to be the most cost-effective solution in satisfying the JSF escape system requirements and pilot safety, together with long-term affordable support."

Martin-Baker employs "lean" cutting-edge production processes along with innovative support concepts to ensure high levels of performance and affordability for the JSF.

The advanced Mk16E design allows for the cockpit to be optimized to ensure the seat is fully integrated as part of the crew station environment. The seat's ergonomic design enables it to accommodate pilots of widely varying sizes without jeopardizing safe escape.

The Mk16E provides a performance escape envelope tailored to provide levels of safe aircrew recovery for all JSF variants. Development of the seat during the JSF's Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase will evolve to achieve significant improvements in seat acceleration limits, stability control, trajectory predictability and terrain-clearance recovery capability. The Mk16E's modular construction architecture allows for long-term JSF growth potential, thereby sustaining the highest levels of life-saving capability over the aircraft's projected service life.

The Lockheed Martin Pilot Systems team has adopted a complete systems engineering methodology that integrates all cockpit systems. The seat, therefore, is fully integrated with the cockpit life support systems and helmet-mounted display equipment and is the principle interface between the pilot and aircraft.

Lockheed Martin , headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics and technology services.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company