ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), marked the delivery of the 400th LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) at a ceremony held today at a Lockheed Martin facility in Orlando, FL.  The combat-proven LONGBOW FCR is fielded with the U.S. Army and eight international customers.

"The LONGBOW FCR is a true battlefield force multiplier," said Col Shane Openshaw, U.S. Army program manager for Apache.  "The system's advanced air and ground targeting capabilities provide critical support for ground troops while limiting the aircrew's exposure to threats."

"As operational missions change, the LONGBOW FCR continues to meet the needs of the Warfighter," said Jerry Garman, LONGBOW LLC president and director of LONGBOW programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.  "High system reliability and low-cost, two-level maintenance ensures the fire control solution is readily available to the Apache aviator."

"The LONGBOW FCR provides our nation's warfighters with enhanced situational awareness and actionable intelligence – critical capabilities required to engage on today's battlefield," said Steve Considine, LONGBOW LLC vice president and director of LONGBOW aviation programs at Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division.  

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command awarded the initial LONGBOW FCR production contract in 1995.  Work is performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Orlando and Ocala, FL, and Northrop Grumman facilities in Baltimore, MD.  Delivery of an additional 25 systems currently contracted will be complete in 2012.

For more than a decade, the LONGBOW FCR has provided Apache aircrews with target detection, location, classification and prioritization.  In all weather, over multiple terrains and through any battlefield obscurant, the radar allows automatic and rapid multi-target engagement.  The LONGBOW FCR integrates with the LONGBOW HELLFIRE missile, enhancing the Apache's lethality fourfold and increasing survivability sevenfold.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.  The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.0 billion.

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http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin