MANASSAS, Va., June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a U.S. Navy contract to provide submarine combat and sonar systems designed around commercially available hardware and software.

The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a ceiling value of $758 million.

"Our expertise in taking commercial components and electronics, such as switches, servers and displays, and packaging them to work in the harsh military environment that used to require custom hardware has saved the Navy more than $1.5 billion, and we are using these same processes to maximize continued cost savings to the Navy," said John Nikolai, Lockheed Martin director for communications and workstations.

The Navy's Technology Insertion Hardware program includes design, development and production of hardware for the next two submarine technology insertions planned for Seawolf, SSGN, 688/688i, Virginia Class, and future submarine systems and platforms.  The U.S. Navy will provide the Royal Australian Navy with similar technology insertions for the Collins Class submarines through the Foreign Military Sales program.

Through seven previous technology insertions on programs such as the AN/UYQ-70 combat computer server suite, Lockheed Martin has delivered 8,000 workstations and servers on schedule to the U.S. Navy over 14 years.

In addition to Lockheed Martin, subcontractors DRS Technologies and Progeny Systems will play key roles in the production of hardware.

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.

www.lockheedmartin.com/ms2

SOURCE Lockheed Martin