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MEADS International Selected With Lockheed Martin To Develop $300M MEADS Air Defense Technology

ORLANDO, FL, May 19th, 1999 -- NATO today selected Lockheed Martin as a member of MEADS International to develop the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). The NATO MEADS Management Authority (NAMEADSMA) announced that the team comprised of Lockheed Martin from the U.S., Alenia Marconi Systems from Italy, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace from Germany will manage the 3-year technology development effort, under a contract valued at approximately $300 million.

"The requirement that fostered the MEADS system -- and its predecessor, Corps SAM-- remains valid and more urgent with each passing day," said MEADS International president, Werner Huss. "MEADS International made significant progress and achieved very promising results during the Project Definition-Validation phase," added Huss. "We developed a concept to provide a 21st century air and missile defense system with unprecedented flexibility and warfighting ability, accomplishing this with a fully integrated team which works smoothly and effectively to produce superior results."

The Lockheed Martin team is lead by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, Fla. "This is a huge win for Lockheed Martin! MEADS represents the future of air and missile defense," said Michael T. Donovan, acting president of Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles "It's a testament to the work of many people within Lockheed Martin and within the MEADS International partnership. We're committed to developing an effective system that will defeat a real and proliferating threat."

Now that the selection has been made, MEADS International's "task is to prepare detailed plans for demonstrating a prototype system in 2002 that will provide allied maneuver forces the air- and missile defense capability they currently lack," said Donald M. Lionetti, vice president of air and missile defense at Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles. "Our three-country team will focus on strategically transportable/tactically mobile equipment, including a lightweight launcher; a 360-degree fire control radar; and battle management, command, control and communications," he added. The system will employ the flight-proven PAC-3 missile, under development separately by Lockheed Martin Vought Systems of Dallas, Tx..

Managed from its headquarters in Orlando, Florida, MEADS International combines the talents of Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles in Orlando, Alenia in Rome, Italy, and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace in Munich, Germany. Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles, a world leader in electro-optics, anti-armor, and air defense systems, also manages production of the ADATS and Chaparral surface to air missile systems and Patriot missile and launcher. It is a unit of Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector, located in Bethesda, MD.

W.C. Wiese, 407-356-4792
e-mail william.c.wiese@lmco.com