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Lockheed Martin To Improve B-52H Mission Computer

OWEGO, NY, April 26th, 2000 -- Lockheed Martin Owego will increase the computer power and memory of the Avionics Control Unit (ACU) in the U.S. Air Force's B-52H bomber 50-fold, while reducing the number of circuit cards from 21 to three. This product improvement will be achieved under a $4 million B-52H Avionics Midlife Improvement contract competitively selected and awarded to Lockheed Martin Owego's Aerospace Systems business area by Boeing Military-Wichita Division. At the heart of the improvement is Lockheed Martin Owego's Single Board Computer (SBC), known as the SP-103A PowerPC 603e/604e/740¿. Under its contract, Lockheed Martin Owego is to produce 27 B-52H ACUs.

"The intent of this program is to 'open' the architecture to make it flexible and use modern technologies in the mission computers to support a service life until 2040 for the B-52H," said Stephen D. Ramsey, vice president, Aerospace Systems. "Commercial-Off-The-Shelf technology and our team's mission processing expertise and dedication will help ensure the mission effectiveness of the B-52H Stratofortress for years to come."

The new ACUs, or mission computers, will replace the current AP-101C computers aboard the aircraft. These general-purpose, militarized computers perform the functions of navigation, weapons delivery, and controls-and-displays management. Complementing the SBC is a power supply, a fibre channel PCI Mezzanine Card and a Lockheed Martin Control Systems-provided Input/Output module.

The B-52H Stratofortress is a strategic bomber capable of supporting large-scale, global missions in a nuclear or a conventional role.

Lockheed Martin Owego has been involved with the B-52 program since the inception of the site in the mid-1950s when the U.S. Air Force tasked the company to design and build a bombing and navigational system for the B-52.

A leader in providing advanced-technology products, services and systems integration solutions, Lockheed Martin Owego serves defense, civil and industrial customers worldwide. Lockheed Martin Owego employs about 3,800 employees at facilities in Owego, N.Y., Springfield, Va. and Portsmouth, United Kingdom and is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Kippen Stalma (607) 751-2598, e-mail: kippen.stalma@lmco.com
Mike Drake (607) 751-2598, e-mail: mike.drake@lmco.com