The Spanish Navy today commissioned its first F100-class frigate equipped with the Lockheed Martin-developed Aegis Weapon System during a ceremony at the IZAR shipyard in Ferrol, Spain. The ship, Alvaro de Bazan (F101), is the first of four frigates completed under the Spanish F100 program. Lockheed Martin officials traveled to Spain to attend today's ceremonies.

"The Alvaro de Bazan and its sister ships will provide the Spanish Navy unprecedented capability," said Fred P. Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems, which produces the Aegis Weapon System. "We're proud to be on the team, which includes Spanish and U.S. experts from the shipbuilding and electronics industries. Our work together has resulted in an advanced, fully integrated system -- the first European frigates to have a national sensor and weapons based combat system integrated with the Lockheed Martin Aegis Weapon System suite, including the SPY-1D radar. Aegis system technology from the United States promotes interoperability between the U.S. and Spanish navies and has helped strengthen relations between our two countries."

The Spanish Navy selected the Lockheed Martin Aegis Weapon System for its F100 frigate program in 1997. With this selection, the Spanish embarked on the design and construction of the first Aegis-equipped frigate in the world. Lockheed Martin and Spanish industry partners IZAR, FABA, INDRA, Sainsel and Rymsa have seamlessly integrated into the F100-class a significant number of Spanish-developed sensor, command and control, and weapon systems to produce a revolutionary multimission frigate combat system. The Alvaro de Bazan completed third and final trials off the coast of Ferrol at the end of June.

Lockheed Martin is the U.S. Navy's combat system engineering agent responsible for the design, integration and production of the Aegis Weapon System. Aegis-equipped ships are the U.S. Navy's primary surface combatants under construction today and will remain its principal surface combatant well into the 21st century.

The Aegis Weapon System includes SPY-1, the Navy's most advanced computer- controlled radar system that, when paired with the state-of-the-art MK41 Vertical Launch System, is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare. The system can simultaneously attack multiple incoming aircraft, missiles, submarines, torpedoes and attacking ships while automatically implementing defenses to protect the fleet.

As the leading technology solutions provider and integrator to the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin focuses on the defense, information technology and homeland security requirements of the military services and civil agencies. The corporation's advanced technology solutions draw on world-class capabilities in systems engineering and integration, complex project management, software development and information technology. These align with emerging homeland security requirements for enhanced command and control, threat information alert and exchange, border control, critical infrastructure protection and emergency management and incident response. Lockheed Martin Corporation is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.

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

For information on Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems, visit: http://ness.external.lmco.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin