Dain M. Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., said lessons learned in the Iraq war are likely to drive aerospace technology development for the next several years, with the continuing importance of air dominance emerging as one of the main lessons.

"Operation Iraqi Freedom is producing lessons and observations that will have profound effects on international defense policies and the industry," Hancock said, speaking to the news media at the 2003 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airfield.

"One of the things we saw was an unprecedented degree of networking and connectivity of information," he said. "However, the war demonstrated, once again, the critical importance of having air dominance and the benefits it holds for enabling a swift victory and minimal loss of lives."

He added that the Iraq experience "serves as an inarguable endorsement of the need for next-generation aircraft systems such as the F/A-22 and F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter)."

In other comments, Hancock discussed the next generation of technology as it relates to "cognition" in the battlespace -- that is, how force commanders and warfighters can use all the information that will be made available to them from sensors, satellites and other assets.

"There has been a realization within defense agencies that the cognitive domain is where battles are truly won and lost. Having vast amounts of information is of marginal value if it cannot be quickly interpreted and applied to strategic decision-making," he said.

Hancock also summarized changes that have occurred in Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. during the past two years, when major milestones have included starting F/A-22 production, progressing in F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development and receiving a multi-year order for 60 C-130J aircraft from the U.S. government. Employment at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has increased by about 5,000, to a total of 28,000, since 2001. Other changes have included facilities improvements in support of the F/A-22, F-35 and C-130J programs.

Other Lockheed Martin news briefings this week at Paris will focus on details of the company's aircraft programs.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin , 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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company