Spanish shipbuilder IZAR will bring its mission development expertise to the Sea Blade, Littoral Combat Ship solution under development by the Lockheed Martin-led team.

LCS is a key element of the Navy's Sea Power 21 strategic vision. It is a ship that will provide the ability to approach and control the shallow waters surrounding an enemy's shores -- one of the greatest challenges facing the Navy. The Navy considers LCS its most transformational effort and number-one budget priority.

IZAR will provide core support in the area of mission development planning, ship design support, and materials studies. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the team, with naval architect Gibbs & Cox and ship builders Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine sharing significant roles as principal team members.

"LCS is a transformational program that requires an industry solution with unique capabilities to address the full spectrum of LCS requirements," said Fred Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin's Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems. "The combined expertise of the domestic and international companies on our team will deliver a solution that meets the Navy's requirements for capability, affordability, speed and low risk."

IZAR is Spain's leading company in the field of civil and military shipbuilding, created in December 2000 following the merger of Astilleros Espanoles S.A. (AESA) and Empresa Nacional Bazan. By size and turnover it ranks as Europe's second largest shipbuilding company and is the world's ninth largest. The company's industrial activity is organized in four business lines: Shipbuilding, Propulsion and Energy, Ship Repairs and Conversions, Control and Weapons Systems.

In addition to serving as the overall prime, Lockheed Martin will be the systems and modularity architect, hullform developer and lead the overall program management and cost analysis work.

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. Lockheed Martin Corporation is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.

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

                For additional information on IZAR, visit:
                               www.izar.es

For additional information on Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance

Systems, visit:

www.ness.external.lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems