A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) as a teammate in the competition to develop the Space Based Radar (SBR) system for the U.S. Air Force.

The Space Based Radar mission will provide worldwide, on demand, persistent surveillance and reconnaissance for Department of Defense and national intelligence users. Scheduled for initial launch in 2012, the SBR system will grow to a constellation of spacecraft to provide rapid-revisit coverage of the entire Earth’s surface. Lockheed Martin Space Systems will lead the effort as the system prime contractor, while Northrop Grumman will serve as Lockheed Martin’s primary teammate and subcontractor. Lockheed
Martin has been under contract to the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center since December 2002 to perform trade studies and define alternative concepts for the SBR system.

As competing prime contractor for the next program phase, Lockheed Martin will provide the end-to-end system integration and lead the space and ground segments of the program. Northrop Grumman will lead the design definition of the space based radar payload; contribute to the system engineering for the tactical warfighter user segment; apply its expertise in tactical surveillance and reconnaissance systems such as JSTARS and Global Hawk; and offer space-to-space communications system solutions.

"I am very pleased that our companies are working together to develop a fully integrated systems design for Space Based Radar that, unquestionably, will be of critical importance and use to military and national users," said G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "By combining our companies’ strengths and significant expertise in large-scale systems integration, space systems, remote sensing, intelligence systems and the full complement of ground systems, we wil
l be able to develop a persistent, global surveillance capability that puts critical information directly into the hands of warfighters and national intelligence users."

Space Based Radar is a transformational system being developed for the U.S. Department of Defense to provide global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). The SBR system will provide persistent real-time intelligence on adversary activity through the identification and tracking of moving targets, high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imaging, and collection of high-resolution terrain information. SBR’s horizontally integrated air and space architecture also has important applications for h
omeland security.

The SBR system will augment air and ground ISR systems by providing on-demand access to areas on the Earth’s surface unreachable by other sensors. The Air Force intends to award two 24-month study contracts in May 2004 to continue the definition of SBR system requirements and evaluate alternative design concepts for the SBR system architecture.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, headquartered near Denver, Colo., is one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems Company designs, develops, tests and manufactures a variety of advanced technology systems for space and defense. Chief products include space launch systems, defense systems, interplanetary and science spacecraft, spacecraft for commercial and government customers, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.

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Media Contacts: Joan Underwood, 303-971-7398; e-mail, joan.b.underwood@lmco.com <mailto:joan.b.underwood@lmco.com>
Northrop Grumman: Frank Moore, 310-201-3335; e-mail, f.moore@ngc.com <mailto:f.moore@ngc.com>