The U.S. Air Force's Ogden Air Logistics Center (ALC) at Ogden, Utah, and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. have teamed to further their common interests in effectively supporting military aircraft. The partnering agreement was signed on Oct. 24.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is a business area of Lockheed Martin Corp. . Ogden ALC, under the Air Force Material Command, is one of the USAF's three major repair and maintenance depots.

This agreement signifies the beginning of a new relationship between the military depots and aerospace industry, which have traditionally operated under a buyer /supplier relationship (USAF as the buyer and contractors as suppliers) or have competed against each other for modification projects and funding.

"It is well recognized that we still have excess industrial capacity in the defense industry today, both in the private and public sectors," said Maj. General Scott C. Bergren, commander of Ogden ALC. "It is also recognized that there are centers of excellence for certain products, subsystems and technologies throughout the industry. As we strive for continuous improvement in supporting our warfighters in a lean environment, it stands to reason that the best approach is a blended one that takes advantage of the best capabilities at each facility."

The partnering agreement is an initial, broad accord that sets the framework for more extensive cooperation in the future. The agreement may encompass activities such as sales of articles and services, use of government resources and capabilities, leases of facilities and equipment, and cooperative research and development.

"As part of the defense transformation, we are beginning to look at things differently, and this includes division of responsibilities in the defense industry apart from traditional lines," Bergren said. "We are trying to create flexible molds that take advantage of reality, rather than changing reality to fit a rigid mold. The concept of partnering for common causes makes for more mutual trust and better working relationships. We in government are now even finding ourselves with private companies in the lead on a project, rather than the other way around."

"Lockheed Martin views the partnership with a government facility as a next-step in its initiative to develop aircraft support solutions that will provide the greatest value to customers," said William B. Anderson, vice president of Customer Support at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "Currently, Lockheed Martin supports more than 6,000 military aircraft operated by dozens of air forces worldwide, and our partnering involves other Lockheed Martin units and other companies in the United States and abroad. We anticipate this private/public partnering concept will be expanded to include other military depots in the United States and in other customer countries, to ensure the most affordable and responsive long-term support for our products."

Under the umbrella of the partnering agreement between Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Ogden ALC, implementation agreements will be constructed to cover certain projects and activities and will address specifics such as technical requirements, resource contributions, financial arrangements, delivery schedules, performance metrics, exit criteria and terms and conditions.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has a number of other activities under way as part of its strategy for next-generation customer support. The company is actively looking for ways to leverage experience from exemplary post- production support programs, such as the F-117 Total System Performance Responsibility Program, to new corporate-wide customer support initiatives like the recently organized Air Mobility Support team. The company is incorporating these concepts in its development of autonomic logistics technologies for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Ogden ALC manages $9.6 billion through a work force of more than 12,000. It provides worldwide logistics management, engineering, supply, contracting and depot maintenance for the F-16, A-10, KC-135, C-130, Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles, space and C3I programs, and 140,000 Air Force and Department of Defense commodities.

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/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, T-50, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2.

Lockheed Martin Corp., 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. Employing about 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales of $24 billion.

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

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

For more information on Ogden ALC, visit: http://www.hill.af.mil/ /

For more information on the partnering program, visit: http://www.hill.af.mil/partnering/hope/partneringapr18.html

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company