Lockheed Martin announced today that it has completed its second successful mission for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA's) Targets and Countermeasures Program, for which the company is prime contractor. The Targets and Countermeasures Program provided the target missile system for MDA's successful test of a sea-based MDA Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System today. Launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, the target missile was intercepted by the Aegis weapon system aboard the USS Lake Erie.

"Our close partnership with the Missile Defense Agency on the Targets and Countermeasures Program made this mission success possible," said Linda Reiners, vice president, Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

This test of the Aegis system demonstrated its preparedness in defending against short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats. The MDA and the U.S. Navy are jointly developing Aegis BMD as part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors develops the Aegis BMD Weapon System and serves as the Combat System Engineering Agent for Aegis BMD.

"This mission demonstrated our teams' integration and launch services capabilities that are important for realistic and rigorous testing of the Ballistic Missile Defense System," said Jim Tevepaugh, program director, Targets and Countermeasures, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

Key Lockheed Martin subcontractors supporting this test included Battelle, ITT Industries Inc. and Orbital Sciences Corp.

The Targets and Countermeasures Program completed its first mission Sept. 26, when it launched a test missile from a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean for the MDA's successful Cobra Dane radar tracking exercise.

The Targets and Countermeasures Program provides realistic test environments for the BMDS 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, 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 Space Systems Company