The U.S. Navy awarded the Lockheed Martin-led Littoral Combat Ship team a $10 million contract for preliminary design of this transformational naval combatant.

The Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), named Sea Blade(TM), is a fast, affordable, low-risk approach designed to dominate the shallow waters surrounding an enemy's shores - one of the greatest challenges facing the Navy. LCS is the Navy's number one budget priority and is a key element of its Sea Power 21 strategic vision for defending the nation and projecting offensive naval operations.

Principal members on the Lockheed Martin team include naval architect Gibbs & Cox and mid-market ship builders Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine. This team provides the Navy with a proven capability to deliver innovative industry approaches to the design, development and construction of LCS at an affordable price.

"Our team is pleased and proud to be selected for the LCS preliminary design phase and to be supporting the Navy in this vital program," said Fred Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin's Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems business. "We are focused on the Navy's requirements and already hard at work to deliver the best solution for LCS. We have a talented, multi- national team with the experience and ability to get the job done and exceed the customer's expectations."

Lockheed Martin is a global leader in maritime systems integration and serves as prime contractor for the team's Sea Blade(TM) design. Key attributes of the design include low cost, low risk, high speed, shallow draft, maneuverability, and a capacity to accommodate the full range of focused mission packages to defeat enemy mines, fast swarming small boats, diesel-electric submarines and other threats. Lockheed Martin also will have responsibilities as the systems and modularity architect, and lead the overall program management and cost analysis work.

Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is responsible for the overall seaframe design, including integration of the hull, mechanical and electrical systems. Specializing in surface combatant design and integration, Gibbs & Cox, Inc., brings more than 70 years of naval engineering expertise to the LCS program. Ships on active duty in nearly 20 navies around the globe, including 60 percent of the U.S. Navy's surface combatant fleet, are built to Gibbs & Cox, Inc. designs. The firm also provides engineering and design support directly to the U.S. Navy in early phase design and development of future systems for the Navy's surface combatant fleet.

Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine will employ proven materials and construction techniques that have successfully delivered more than 190 ships on time and on budget in the last 10 years. These mid-size shipyards are ideally suited and optimally sized for building LCS class ships. Combined, Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine have built more than 135 ships for the Navy and Coast Guard.

In addition to the principal team members, Sea Blade(TM) core team support includes high-speed ship expertise from Donald L. Blount and Associates, IZAR, Fincantieri and NAVATEK; modularity expertise from Blohm + Voss; and functional expertise from Angle, Inc., ABS, BBN Technologies, Charters Technical Services, DRS Technologies and MA&D.

Using an open business model, the Lockheed Martin LCS team will continue to recruit "best of breed" technical specialists from the U.S. and abroad.

"The Lockheed Martin LCS team combines leadership in all aspects of ship construction, design and program management," said Carol Hulgus, vice president of programs for Lockheed Martin's Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems. "The result is a design that will provide the Navy with a focused, networked, lethal warship for the asymmetric littoral threat environment."

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.

                For additional information on LCS, visit:
                           www.seabladelcs.com

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

For additional information on Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance

                             Systems, visit:
                        www.ness.external.lmco.com

         For additional information on Gibbs & Cox, Inc., visit:
                             www.gibbscox.com

          For additional information on Marinette Marine, visit:
                         www.manitowocmarine.com

    For additional information about Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., visit:
                        www.bollingershipyards.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems