Orlando, FL, January 14th, 1998 -- The Longbow Limited Liability Company (LLLC), a Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman joint venture, has been awarded a five-year, $565 million contract by the U.S. Army for production of 207 Longbow Apache fire control radar systems. The joint venture received earlier contracts in 1996 and 1997 covering the first 20 production units.

The radar and its weapons counterpart, the radar-guided Longbow Hellfire missile, enable the potent Apache attack helicopter to detect, classify and prioritize ground targets day or night, in poor weather and obscured conditions; then attack those targets with pinpoint accuracy from ranges that safeguard American lives.

"This multi-year award is a winner for American soldiers and the American taxpayer," said Longbow LLC president Richard Russell. "It's also a tribute to the men and women at Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, as well as our Boeing and Army teammates, who have worked so hard to make Longbow a truly revolutionary system."

Added Gene Thompson, vice president of LLLC, "This contract is on the forefront of the Army's initiative to streamline acquisition procedures and introduce -more- commercial practices. It will generate a cost avoidance for the federal government and taxpayers of about $80 million over conventional annual procurements."

Contract deliveries will extend from 1999 through 2003 with award and work share equally divided between the joint venture partners. Work will take place at Lockheed Martin's Orlando and Ocala, Florida plants and Northrop Grumman's facility in Baltimore, Maryland and College Station, Texas. About 460 employees representing both companies are assigned to the radar program. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missiles Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

The Longbow system is being integrated on the U.S. Army Apache, and the British WAH-64 Westland Apache, a derivative of Longbow. A version of the system also is planned for the RAH-66 Comanche advanced reconnaissance helicopter, which is expected to enter service early in the 21st century.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division are leading developers of advanced combat systems for the armed forces. They are equal partners in the Longbow Limited Liability Company.