On Mar. 29, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin Corporation , received a contract valued at approximately $200 million from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to manufacture components for 12 F-2 production aircraft. MHI is the prime contractor for Japan's new F-2 support fighter.

Lockheed Martin already is producing components for the first 45 F-2 aircraft under five previous annual contracts. This sixth contract brings the total to 57 aircraft. Under this latest contract, Lockheed Martin will continue to provide all the aft fuselages, wing leading-edge flaps and stores management systems; 80 percent of all left-hand wing boxes; and other avionics and avionics support equipment. Lockheed Martin components are shipped to MHI's Komaki-South facility in Nagoya, Japan, where they are assembled by MHI with other components to form the F-2.

"Lockheed Martin is pleased to support MHI on this sixth production contract, which is thus far the largest annual procurement of Lockheed Martin components for the F-2 aircraft," said Orville Prins, F-2 program director at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth. "Our F-2 production team continues to be very committed to this unique and successful cooperative program between the United States and Japan."

Japan selected the F-16 as the basis for the design of its new support fighter in 1987. In mid-2000 the Japan Defense Agency's Technical Research and Development Institute completed extensive flight tests in Japan of four prototype aircraft, designated XF-2. MHI delivered the first production aircraft to the Japan Defense Agency (JDA) in September 2000. By the end of March 2002, 28 F-2s were delivered to the JDA.

In July 2001, Lockheed Martin successfully concluded activity on the third consecutive contract with MHI for Lockheed Martin components on the F-2. The fourth major contract concludes this month, and the company will begin delivering components per the fifth contract in May. This latest contract is effective immediately with deliveries beginning in April 2003. Lockheed Martin has delivered over 150 major airframe, avionics, and avionics support equipment components in this successful partnership with MHI since production deliveries began in late 1998.

Lockheed Martin was the principal U.S. subcontractor during development and also has that role in the production of the F-2. The JDA plans to purchase 130 F-2s.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, C-5, C-27J, C-130, P-3, and U-2.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. Employing about 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales of $24 billion.

F-16 is a registered trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

For information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

For information on Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, visit: http://www.lmaeronautics.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company