BALTIMORE, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Marine Corps will soon be using a tactical Smartphone network developed by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) to support their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission exercises.

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The Marine Corps Forces Pacific Experimentation Center has acquired the MONAX system, which the Office of Naval Research purchased, a portable private 4G network that provides voice, data and video services through commercial Smartphone technologies.

"We are proud to help the Marine Corps support this critical mission," said Sam Guthrie, MONAX program director for Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Defense. "MONAX is a unique offering that provides an affordable, portable network for a wide range of military, civil and humanitarian missions."

MONAX provides users with a 4G private network they can operate anywhere. This secure broadband network system connects off-the-shelf Smartphones to a cellular base station infrastructure, enabling users to securely send and receive data rich information to its users. By using a secure RF Link, communications are protected through strong exportable encryption enabling the transfer of pertinent and sensitive information. MONAX can connect hundreds of users to a single base station, which is more than normal commercial carrier limits of approximately 40 per sector.

All MONAX products are available on the General Services Administration schedule purchasing vehicle as well as directly from Lockheed Martin.

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.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/products/monax/

SOURCE Lockheed Martin