The Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grummanteam today submitted its proposal to design and build the Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) Space Segment, the future global communications network for the U.S. Air Force that will provide seamless, protected communications for a wide range of defense and intelligence users.

The proposal builds upon the team’s combined experience developing advanced military and commercial communications systems, including the Milstar satellite communications network currently in operation, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) system now in production, and the successful TSAT risk reduction and system definition activities conducted under contract to the Air Force. “Our team has worked closely with the Air Force for more than five years to mature the key TSAT technologies and define a program that is adaptive and executable,” said Joanne Maguire, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “Building upon our legacy of delivering protected satellite communications systems with assured connectivity, our low-risk TSAT solution will provide unprecedented capabilities for our warfighters and we stand ready to deliver this vitally important system on cost and on schedule.”

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., is competing to serve as the TSAT Space Segment prime contractor, with teammate Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif., responsible for the communications payload, including laser and radio-frequency communications and on-board processing. Other members of the team include:

— Juniper Networks, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., will apply its Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) routing software and related expertise in the design of the team’s TSAT processor/router. Juniper’s JUNOS software, which is used in the Department of Defense’s Global Information Grid, is the first IPv6 routing system approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency;

— ViaSat Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., will provide dynamic bandwidth and resource allocation algorithms and software and the integrated cryptographic processor security system; and

— Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services, Gaithersburg Md., will provide the satellite ground control and gateway elements.

“Northrop Grumman is focused on making TSAT a success,” said Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president, and president of Northrop Grumman’s Space Technology sector. “We are committing experienced people from Milstar and the Advanced EHF design team to ensure that TSAT takes advantage of proven technologies and leverages our extensive protected SATCOM expertise. All members of the Northrop Grumman team are personally dedicated to the successful deployment of TSAT.” The proposal submitted today is for the multi-billion dollar Development and Production contract scheduled to be awarded by the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. in November 2007. The contract will include the design, development, and fielding of up to five space vehicles plus one spare, along with the ground-based space vehicle command and control, and the high data-rate ground communications gateway.

The original TSAT risk reduction and system definition funding awarded by the Air Force in 2004 recently culminated in a successful TSAT Space Segment Design Review at Lockheed Martin Space Systems facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. The review detailed the team’s planned architecture and design approach for TSAT as well as demonstrating key technologies essential to the program. TSAT will employ high-speed optical communications, Internet Protocol network routing, and communications-on-the-move technologies to deliver a dramatic increase in connectivity, speed, and mobility for the warfighter.

“Juniper Networks’ high-performance network infrastructure enables government contractors to deliver the responsive and trusted environment required to help provide critical high-speed communications to the U.S. military,” said Haywood Talcove, vice president, Public Sector Americas, Juniper Networks. “We are committed to offering greater choice and control to quickly meet the Defense Department’s evolving and demanding network requirements.”

TSAT represents the next step toward transitioning the Department of Defense wideband and protected communications satellite architecture into a single network comprising multiple satellite, ground, and user segment components. The system ultimately will replace the Milstar and Advanced EHF programs and provide the satellite-based Global Information Grid network extension to mobile warfighters, sensors, weapons, and command, control, and communications nodes located on unmanned aerial vehicles, piloted aircraft, on the ground, in the air, at sea or in space.

“ViaSat is very pleased to be a contributor to the Lockheed Martin TSAT team,” said Mark Dankberg, CEO and Chairman, ViaSat, Inc. “We have worked closely with the team for the past five years and bring key technologies to two important aspects of the satellite system — our dynamic bandwidth and resource allocation algorithms and software based on 15+ years of experience, as well as the latest information assurance technologies for this critical defense program.”

ViaSat produces innovative satellite and other communication products that enable fast, secure, and efficient communications to any location. The Company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies to the U.S. government; and is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services.

Juniper Networks, Inc. is the leader in high-performance networking. Juniper offers a high-performance network infrastructure that creates a responsive and trusted environment for accelerating the deployment of services and applications over a single network. This fuels high-performance businesses. Additional information can be found at http://www.juniper.net. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

Media Contact: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531; e-mail, Stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com