F-35 Joint Strike Fighter team members today emphasized the importance of global participation in the program, as they introduced an historic lineup of international F-35 partners during a press briefing at the Farnborough International Air Show.

The presentation, entitled "Unveiling the Future: The Joint Strike Fighter International Team - Global Team, Global Commitment, Global Value," highlighted the program's commitment to deliver a truly international weapon system through a global team. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Hudson, director of the U.S. Department of Defense F-35 JSF program; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company President Dain Hancock; and JSF General Manager Tom Burbage hosted the briefing, which featured senior officials from the F-35 JSF program's eight participating countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark and Norway.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin Corp. , is developing the F-35 along with along with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS, and the countries that have joined the program this year.

"We are delighted to have these countries as full-fledged members of the Joint Strike Fighter team, and we look forward to seeing our strong relationships flourish as we build a terrific fighter aircraft," Hudson said. "This is truly a marriage between governments and industry that will ultimately result in the deployment of a highly capable, interoperable JSF by the armed forces of our partner nations."

Supporting Lockheed Martin Corporation's theme, "Partnership Makes a World of Difference," the briefing gave a glimpse of the program's impact on the future of international industrial and security cooperation.

The next-generation F-35 is a stealthy (radar-evading), supersonic multi-role fighter designed to meet the U.S. government's requirements for a new generation of transformational weapons. The single-engine JSF will be manufactured in three versions: a conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) variant for the U.S. Air Force, an aircraft-carrier version (CV) for the U.S. Navy, and a short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) version for the U.S. Marine Corps.

"Lockheed Martin is proud to return to Farnborough with an international team that is setting the standard for technological advances and is rewriting the book on acquisition and business practices," Burbage said. "From the start, JSF has been an international program and I am confident that this program will succeed as a result of international cooperation."

The cornerstone of the F-35 is affordability, achieved in large part through a very high level of common parts and systems across the three versions of the aircraft.

The F-35 is designed to replace aging fighter inventories, including U.S. Air Force A-10s and F-16s, U.S. Navy F/A-18s, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers.

The Farnborough Air Show, historically a prime showcase for Lockheed Martin and other aerospace manufacturers, continues through July 26.

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, T-50, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-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.

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