The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program has been recognized for its "cutting-edge design and technology" with an award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The AIAA Foundation Board of Trustees presented the AIAA Foundation Award for Excellence to the F-35 program during the 2010 AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala on May 12 in Washington, D.C. AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession.

"This award reflects the dedication and innovation of those who have made the F-35 Lightning II fighter a reality and signifies a bright future as the program ramps up flight test and commences operational training in the months ahead," said U.S. Air Force Major General C.D. Moore, the acting program executive officer for the F-35 Lightning II Program Office.

According to the award citation, the Foundation Award for Excellence recognizes the "cutting-edge design and technology of - and global collaboration involved in - the Joint Strike Fighter, enabling a unique battlespace capability for the future." The AIAA Foundation Board of Trustees annually recognizes unique contributions and extraordinary accomplishments by organizations or individuals in aeronautics and astronautics.

"This award acknowledges the commitment of the F-35 team, and the revolutionary technology that make the F-35 the fighter of the future," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company