FARNBOROUGH, England, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The initial ground shelter for a vigilant "Dragon Shield" has been delivered to the Finnish Air Force by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]. The ground system will support a CASA C-295 aircraft that Lockheed Martin is modifying to accommodate an advanced surveillance system for the Finnish Air Command.

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"Lockheed Martin is honored to work with the Finnish Air Force," said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems for Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Defense. "Working with our industry team and the exceptional support of the Finnish Air Force will ensure that Finland has a highly capable system that will meet its needs for many years to come."

Lockheed Martin has completed initial integration, including preliminary functional checks and calibrations, on the ground elements of the system for the Finnish Air Command. These ground components are completing final acceptance for delivery to customer locations. A key attribute of this system is an open and modular architecture that will allow the system to be easily upgraded and readily reconfigured to support evolving customer mission needs. This innovative technology road mapping process ensures customers have an up-to-date system throughout the life cycle of the aircraft.

The Finnish system includes a CASA C-295 aircraft that Lockheed Martin is modifying to accommodate a version of its Dragon Shield™ roll-on/roll-off mission suite, as well as the associated ground shelters and terminals.  Work continues on the aircraft modification, and integration of the airborne mission payload is targeted for late 2012. After delivery of the aircraft and payload, the team will begin flight testing and full system integration and test activities.

Lockheed Martin's team includes Patria Oy, Rockwell Collins, Adam Works, DRS Technologies, Applied Signal Technology and L3 Communications. In addition to this core team, Lockheed Martin is working closely with Finnish industry to maximize industry participation ensuring national autonomy to maintain the payload as well as advance in-country technical capabilities.

Palletized systems that can be rolled on and off aircraft are offered as a Dragon Shield option in Lockheed Martin's Dragon family of configurations. These six innovative airborne and ground system configurations offer customers a unique approach to match sensor requirements to their budget and airframe needs. The Dragon Shield roll-on/roll-off mission suite is ideal for customers who need an aircraft that can perform multiple operational missions, such as airlift and reconnaissance.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 123,000 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 net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

For more information on the Dragon series, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/dragon-isr.html

SOURCE Lockheed Martin