Lockheed Martin announced today that it has completed its first mission for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA's) Targets and Countermeasures program, for which the company is prime contractor. Lockheed Martin provided the test missile for the MDA's successful Cobra Dane radar tracking exercise this week.

The Lockheed Martin industry team launched the target missile from a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean hundreds of kilometers from the Cobra Dane radar at Eareckson Air Station in Shemya, Alaska. The radar successfully tracked the test missile, demonstrating the preparedness of this element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane radar is a ground-based sensor for tracking incoming threat missiles.

"We are pleased to have delivered 100 percent mission success on our first mission working in partnership with the Missile Defense Agency as the Targets and Countermeasures prime contractor," said Linda Reiners, vice president, Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

For the exercise, Lockheed Martin subcontractor L-3 Coleman Aerospace of Orlando, Fla., constructed a launch vehicle that simulated a realistic missile threat.

"This mission demonstrated the rigorous systems engineering approach that the Missile Defense Agency and the Lockheed Martin team are using to support realistic and rigorous testing of the Ballistic Missile Defense System," said Jim Tevepaugh, program director, Targets and Countermeasures, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

The Targets and Countermeasures program provides realistic test environments for the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the MDA to defend against all classes of ballistic missiles. The MDA awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company the Targets and Countermeasures prime contract in 2003. Lockheed Martin's team includes six major subcontractors. The team's expertise spans systems engineering, design, manufacture and air-, land- and sea-launch capabilities. The Flexible Targets Family approach to be implemented in 2007 will further reduce cost and cycle time through the use of common subsystems and components for reentry vehicles, instrumentation, countermeasures, boosters and ground support.

Lockheed Martin performs Targets and Countermeasures program management and systems engineering at its facility in Arlington, Va., and engineering at its facilities in Huntsville, Ala., Denver, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M., and Sunnyvale, Calif.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a variety of advanced technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include a full-range of space launch systems, including heavy-lift capability, ground systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial and government customers, advanced space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corporation employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.

Media Contact:

Lynn Fisher, 408-742-7606; lynn.m.fisher@lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin