The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $20.3 million contract for the first production phase of the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). The contract is for the procurement of eight AMP production kits, which Lockheed Martin technicians will install in U.S. Air Force C-5s beginning in May 2004. The overall C-5 AMP contract, signed in January 1999, is valued at $600 million, including system design/development and production.

"The C-5 is critical to the U.S. armed forces' requirement to deploy large quantities of outsized and oversized equipment anywhere in the world," said June Shrewsbury, Lockheed Martin vice president for Strategic Airlift. "This upgrade program provides equipment that improves safety through better aircrew situational awareness and navigational accuracy. AMP, in conjunction with the C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP), will give the C-5 substantial improvements in capability, performance and availability."

AMP upgrades the C-5 fleet to meet Global Air Traffic Management requirements, upgrades the all-weather flight control system and modernizes the cockpit with new flat-panel liquid crystal displays. The initial phase of AMP, which entailed modifying the entire C-5 fleet with the Accelerated- Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, was completed ahead of schedule in October 2002. The first C-5B fully modified with a new AMP kit flew in December 2002, two months ahead of program schedule, and recently completed its 12th successful flight in support of initial AMP software and hardware testing. A C-5A modified to the new AMP configuration also is entering flight-test.

The C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program will modernize 112 C-5A/B aircraft. It will replace the power plant as the centerpiece for modernization and will replace and upgrade a number of subsystem components. The objective is to improve the fleet's mission-capable rate (aircraft availability) and the overall reliability and maintainability of the aircraft while reducing total ownership costs. RERP is worth approximately $9 billion over the life of the program.

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.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2002 sales of $26.6 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/

   CONTACT:

   Peter Simmons
   770-494-6208
   peter.e.simmons@lmco.com

   Sam Grizzle
   770-494-3211
   sam.c.grizzle@lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company