Lockheed Martin F-35 Charts Progress as Services Anticipate 5th Generation Capabilities

    FARNBOROUGH, England, July 15 /EMWNews-FirstCall/ -- With two of its

three variants now in flight test, the 17 remaining pre-production aircraft

in assembly, the first two production aircraft in fabrication, another 12

production jets fully funded and early funding approved for an additional

18 airplanes, the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35 program is taking off --

both literally and figuratively.



    "The successful inaugural flight of the first F-35B -- our short

takeoff/vertical landing variant -- provided an exclamation point to what

has been an extraordinary year so far for the program," said Tom Burbage,

Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35

Program Integration. "While the flight of the F-35B was certainly the most

visible sign of the program's success, much more is going on, including the

expansion of our production line, outstanding progress in software

development, the outfitting of our avionics test bed for full-up F-35

mission systems flights beginning later this year, extremely strong

government support for the program and the continued strengthening of our

international partnerships."



    As the F-35's production rate rises steadily to a peak of one aircraft

per working day by 2016, allied military services are beginning to

integrate the Lightning II's potent 5th generation capabilities into their

strategic planning. Among the F-35's distinguishing capabilities is its

ability to interoperate with an unprecedented array of assets in the air,

at sea and on the ground.



    "Communication among disparate equipment and different military

services has hampered coalition operations for many years, but the F-35 is

specifically designed to resolve those issues, gathering and sharing

information in real time with different aircraft, troops on the ground and

ships at sea," Burbage said. "For example, information the F-35 receives

from its sensors or an off-board source can be passed to troops

immediately, enabling them to carry out their mission more quickly, more

effectively and helping ensure their safety. No other aircraft to date has

come close to having the Lightning II's level of interoperability."



    The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation

stealth fighter. The three F-35 variants are derived from a common design

and use the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide to replace at least

13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the

most cost-effective fighter program in history.



    Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial

partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable

F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE

Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.



    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 2007

sales of $41.9 billion.






    F-35 and Lightning II are trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation.



               For additional information, visit our Web site:

                        http://www.lockheedmartin.com



             F-35 photographs and information also available at:

                            http://www.teamjsf.com