Team US101 has announced that 11 companies in six southeastern states will supply components to the American-built US101 medium-lift helicopter. Team US101 is competing to provide the president of the United States with a fleet of next-generation helicopters better known by the call sign: "Marine One."

"We are fortunate to be working with a number of outstanding high technology companies located in the southeastern states recognized for the superior quality of their products," said Stephen D. Ramsey, Lockheed Martin's US101 vice president and general manager. "Eaton Aerospace in Mississippi, for example, is under contract to Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics Company, providing pumps to the F/A-22 Raptor fighter; participation with that program speaks to the high quality of their work, and we're looking forward to benefiting from it."

"Eaton is proud to be one of the key suppliers for this important program, and we look forward to continuing to support a Presidential Fleet of US101 helicopters," said Bradley Morton, vice president of Aerospace Operations at Eaton Aerospace.

Earlier this year, Team US101 announced that Applied Geo Technologies (AGT), a CHAHTA Enterprise company owned by the Mississippi Band of the Choctaw Indians and located in Choctaw, MS, will supply wiring harnesses for the US101 helicopter.

The 11 southeastern companies that will supply components for the US101 helicopter are:

   AVX Corp.                                     Myrtle Beach, SC
   Champion Aerospace, Inc.                      Liberty, SC
   Custom Cable Assemblies                       Warner Robbins, GA
   Eaton Aerospace                               Jackson, MS
   Kemet Electronics                             Simpsonville, SC
   Kidde Aerospace                               Wilson, NC
   Lord Corp.                                    Cary, NC
   Optima Electronic Packaging Systems           Tucker, GA
   ROHM Electronic USA, LLC                      Brentwood, TN
   Tintronics Industries                         Huntsville, AL
   VMIC, Inc. -- a wholly-owned
    subsidiary of GE/FANUC                       Huntsville, AL

Team US101 is recognizing these suppliers at this time for their continuous support during the rigorous Presidential Helicopter Replacement (or VXX) competition. Meanwhile, Team US101 continues to conduct risk reduction efforts prior to the U.S. Navy award decision announcement, which is expected during December 2004.

These 11 suppliers are among the more than 200 suppliers in 41 states chosen to support Team US101 with key products and services necessary for the president's new Marine One helicopter fleet. Other leading American companies on Team US101 include General Electric, ITT, Northrop Grumman, Kaman Aerospace and Palomar Products. During the course of the helicopter fleet's operational service life, 90 percent of the total life cycle costs will flow to Team US101's American suppliers, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs nationwide while building these new Marine One helicopters.

Team US101 is led by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration -- Owego, which serves as the prime contractor and systems integrator for the American-built US101 aircraft, an American variant of AgustaWestland's successful EH101 multimission helicopter. The US101 team collectively brings unmatched rotorcraft expertise and experience to this program: Lockheed Martin (prime contractor and systems integration), AgustaWestland (aircraft design) and Bell Helicopter (aircraft production), while General Electric will supply each helicopter's three CT7-8E engines.

For additional information, visit http://www.teamus101.com/

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin