BETHESDA, Md., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Defense Industrial Association honored Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Chairman and CEO, with the 2010 James Forrestal Industry Leadership Award at the NDIA-sponsored Army Executive Seminar in Atlanta, Ga., on April 5.

"It is a distinct honor and privilege to receive the Forrestal award, and I can only accept on behalf of my 126,000 colleagues across Lockheed Martin whose dedication, talent and integrity makes me very proud to come to work each day," Stevens said.  "I want to thank the leadership and staff of NDIA that for 90 years have assured that government and industry can bring forward, together, the best solutions for our warfighters. Yours is a legacy of great accomplishment over time."

"I've always felt very privileged to work in our industry," Stevens added.  "We engage vigorously in competitions to drive innovation, better value and creative ideas.  But I think over a long arc of history, our industry has never really failed, after these competitions conclude, to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another, try to put our customers' interests first and to support our customers as they discharge the demands of their incredibly important missions."

In his keynote address, Stevens described the new reality as "one of the most complex and demanding" global security environments anyone has ever seen because "the number and velocity of events and the volatility of their consequences have never been greater."  He recalled President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address and invoked the President's call for balance in maintaining a strong and ready military and supporting industry.  "We need to ensure that our military remains strong, prepared, well-equipped and ready for any contingency," Stevens said.

Each year, NDIA recognizes a defense industry executive for leadership and for reflecting support for the entire industrial base in the example set by James Forrestal, former Secretary of Defense and former Secretary of the Navy.  Stevens joins former Lockheed Martin CEOs Vance Coffman (2002), Norman Augustine (1995) and Daniel Tellep (1994) as recipients of this honor.

"The board chose an executive that has significantly moved and shaped our industrial base by demonstrating originality in thought, sparking forward thinking, innovation... and provided inspiration to others in the field, and a vision of the future for our national industrial base," said Lawrence P. Farrell, President and CEO, National Defense Industrial Association.

NDIA is a partnership between industry and government that is driving the future of defense and national security. NDIA facilitates growth, innovation, and technological advances for all facets of the defense industrial and related support base. NDIA and its affiliates have 1,446 corporate members and more than 56,000 individual members. Included in the latter number are more than 14,400 government members. In addition, its subsidiary affiliates cover a broad array of complimentary activities and add additional perspective to this diverse area.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 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 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin