Lockheed Martin today announced that it has delivered on-schedule the flight structure and key payload support equipment to Northrop Grumman for assembly of the first space vehicle in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program. AEHF satellites will provide global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for warfighters in all services within the Department of Defense.

Over the next several months a combined team of engineers and technicians from Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., the AEHF system prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif. the payload provider, will continue component installation and preparation activities leading to the integration of the first flight payload.

"Delivery of the first AEHF flight structure is a significant milestone in this vital program," said Julie Sattler, vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "The team continues to make excellent progress and we look forward to providing greatly increased satellite communications capabilities for our troops and allies worldwide."

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide the first two Advanced EHF satellites and command control system to its customer, the MILSATCOM Program Office, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

"We've begun the integration of flight hardware onto the structure, which gives us very high confidence that our flight payload will meet all Advanced EHF requirements, and that it will be delivered on time," said Clayton Kau, Northrop Grumman Advanced EHF program manager.

AEHF is the successor to the Milstar secure communications system whose capabilities were cited by the Department of Defense as essential to the U.S.-led coalition's success in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Milstar team was honored earlier this year with the prestigious National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current Achievement. AEHF will deliver 10 times greater total capacity and channel data rates six times higher than that of Milstar II communications satellites.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.

CONTACT: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531, or Stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin