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Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Balimore Signs MK 41 VLS Contract With Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

BALTIMORE, MD, April 4th, 2000 -- Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS)-Baltimore has signed a follow-on, direct commercial sale contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for licensed production and test of MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The follow-on portion of the Phase I contract includes production of four eight-cell modules and is valued at approximately $21 million. Under the terms of the follow-on contract, NE&SS-Baltimore will provide four MK 41 VLS modular production kits to MHI for assembly and test. The completed modules will be installed on a Japanese MURASAME-class destroyer. Last year, NE&SS-Baltimore and MHI signed an initial Phase 1 contract valued at approximately $70 million for the production and related services of eight VLS modules. The follow-on contract brings the total number of VLS modules to be produced under the contract to 12.

Designed and developed by Lockheed Martin, the MK 41 VLS is a below-deck launching system capable of firing many different missile types. Previously, Japan's MURASAME-class ships were outfitted with a launcher consisting of two VLS modules, but in 1998 the Japanese government decided to double the number of MK 41 launchers on each ship resulting in four modules of eight cells each.

Lockheed Martin NE&SS-Baltimore has supplied MK 41 VLS for both the Japanese MURASAME- and KONGO-class ships since 1989.

"NE&SS-Baltimore is pleased to continue this important international program with our partners at MHI," said Jon Wing, acting vice president of NE&SS-Baltimore. "The additional MK 41 VLS launchers will further improve the capability of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force."

NE&SS-Baltimore is one of six major operating sites in the Lockheed Martin NE&SS business segment. NE&SS provides surface ship and submarine combat systems, antisubmarine warfare and ocean surveillance systems, missile launching systems, radar and sensor systems, ship systems integration services and other advanced systems and services to customers worldwide. It is the largest business organization in the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration business area.

Jim Tierney, NE&SS-Moorestown, 856.722.5848; jim.g.tierney@lmco.com
Rich Palmay, NE&SS-Moorestown, 856.722.2708; richard.l.palmay@lmco.com