EXPERIENCED INDUSTRY TEAM TO DESIGN REVOLUTIONARY ARSENAL SHIP

January 10, 1997, MOORESTOWN, N.J. -- A team comprising three of America's most capable designers, developers, producers and integrators of ships and ship systems has won a $15 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U. S. Navy to provide the functional design for the Arsenal Ship.

Lockheed Martin; Litton Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss.; and Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va., will jointly develop an Arsenal Ship design for the Navy and DARPA, offering the program a total-ship solution. The industry team, led by Lockheed Martin Government Electronic Systems, Moorestown, N. J., is one of five industry teams awarded $1 million contracts in July 1996 to provide initial Arsenal Ship design concepts. The Lockheed Martin team is now one of two teams which will compete to participate in the third phase of the planned six-phase program.

The third phase, which involves the detailed design and construction of the Arsenal Ship demonstrator, is scheduled to begin in January 1998. Follow-on phases will ultimately include construction and support of multiple Arsenal Ships -- floating missile batteries with as many as 500 vertical launch missiles. The ship will be capable of providing deterrence, initial strike, naval surface fire support of U. S. Marine and Army forces ashore, and battle space dominance. It will incorporate stealth technology, a robust ship structure for improved survivability, and will be highly automated for reduced crew levels and lower operating costs.

For more information contact:

Lockheed Martin Rich Palmay 609-722-2708

Ingalls Shipbuilding Jim McIngvale 601-935-3971

Newport News Shipbuilding Mike Hatfield 757-380-2932