Lockheed Martin marked the completion of the fourth Aegis Weapon System for the Spanish Navy's F-100 Frigate program today with a pull-the-plug ceremony at its Moorestown facility. The system will now be packed and shipped to Spanish shipbuilder IZAR for installation in the frigate, Mendez Nunez, now under construction in Ferrol, Spain.

The system has successfully completed a full range of acceptance tests during the past several months to verify system performance. Today's pull-the-plug ceremony marks the completion of the testing and symbolizes the system is ready for shipboard installation.

"We are so pleased to be a part of this international effort," said Fred P. Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems. "The Moorestown team, along with our Spanish industry partners shipbuilder IZAR, combat systems engineers FABA, and electronics manufacturers INDRA, Sainsel and Rymsa, continue to deliver the world's finest combat system to our customers, and that makes all of us very proud to be part of this program."

The Aegis system enables frigates to engage simultaneous threats from under the sea, the surface and the air. Since 1997, Lockheed Martin has provided the Aegis Weapon System for Spain under a contract between the U.S. and Spanish Navies. The agreement covers production, testing, installation and product life cycle support for Aegis Weapon Systems that will be deployed aboard all four, F-100 class frigates.

The Aegis Weapon System is currently deployed on 65 U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers on station around the globe, and 24 more ships are planned. In addition to the U.S. and Spanish navies, Aegis is aboard Japanese destroyers and has been selected by Norway and Korea for their latest ships.

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, M.D.

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

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin