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Egypt Buys Lockheed Martin's Multiple Launch Rocket System Rockets

Sale Represents First Purchase of MLRS By Egypt

DALLAS, TX, December 4th, 2001 -- Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has received a $72.2 million not-to-exceed contract from the U.S. government for more than 400 Extended-Range Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) rocket pods for Egypt. This foreign military sales (FMS) contract represents the first sale of MLRS to Egypt. This initial purchase of MLRS rockets by Egypt will be followed by a contract for MLRS launcher and ancillary training and support equipment.

The U.S. Congress approved the FMS sale earlier this year. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting agency. Delivery of the rocket pods (six MLRS rockets per pod) will begin in the fall of 2002 and be complete by the fall of 2003.

In addition to the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, MLRS launchers and rockets are now in the inventories of (or have been ordered by) Egypt, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Israel, Bahrain, Japan, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Greece and South Korea.

MLRS is the world's most formidable missile and rocket artillery system. A single MLRS launcher can put more than two tons of destructive firepower on a target in less than one minute, and its full load of 12 rockets can cover 30 to 60 acres with thousands of grenade-like submunitions. Each of the submunitions in an MLRS rocket has about the same destructive power as a hand grenade and contains a shaped charge that allows it to penetrate light armor. MLRS also fires the battle-proven Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) family of missiles.

The ER MLRS rocket can strike targets up to 28 miles (45 kilometers) away. To achieve the additional range, the existing MLRS warhead was shortened and the rocket motor stretched. Because it uses fewer submunitions, the ER rocket is lighter at burnout than the current version. Additional motor length accommodates more propellant, thereby increasing range.

Employing more than 8,500 people, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with additional base operations in Orlando, Fla., and manufacturing and assembly facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif., Chelmsford, Mass., Camden, Ark., Horizon City and Lufkin, Texas, Ocala, Fla., White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and Troy, Ala. The company is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Bethesda, Md.

Craig Vanbebber, 972-603-1615
e-mail craig.vanbebber@lmco.com