In a move that will expand Lockheed Martin's capability to provide warfighters with more precise, longer range weapons at low cost, the Corporation today acquired certain assets of Leigh Aerosystems of Carlsbad, Calif. Lockheed Martin's acquisition will enhance its viability in the strike weapons marketplace, both domestically and internationally. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Privately held Leigh Aerosystems designs, tests and produces the LongShot(TM)Wing Kit that can be attached to existing "dumb" bombs to increase accuracy and range. The kit, which consists of a Global Positioning System- based guidance and targeting system and a pair of flight controlling wings, transforms existing weapons such as the 1,000-pound CBU-87 cluster bomb, the 1,000-pound MK-83 general purpose bomb, the 500-pound MK-82 general-purpose bomb, and laser guided bombs into targetable standoff munitions.

"This acquisition will bring extended range capabilities to the Air Force," said Randy Bigum, vice president of Strike Weapons at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "There is a genuine need for low-cost precision munitions, and the LongShot Wing Kit can bring that to a large community of fighters and bombers. We can take non-precision bombs that have been in the inventory for years and convert them into accurate, next-generation, standoff munitions at a cost much less than the expense to develop and produce new weapons."

The kit will be adapted into Lockheed Martin's Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) program to be used on CBU-87, -89, and -97 dispenser weapons. The enhanced WCMD system, called WCMD-Extended Range, is expected to go into production in 2005. The Air Force has requested 7,500 of these systems.

In addition, the acquisition provides immediate entry into the international market for low-cost precision accuracy and standoff capability for existing "dumb" bombs with low-cost integration onto existing aircraft.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control develops, manufactures and integrates world-class air defense, fire support, strike weapon, naval munition, combat vision, anti-armor and advanced product solutions and systems for U.S. and international armed forces. 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. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control