BETHESDA, MD, November 16th, 1998 -- The Commonwealth of Australia has announced that the ADI/Lockheed Martin team has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Frigate (FFG) Upgrade Program. The program is a comprehensive, mid-life upgrade to the six FFGs currently in operation by the RAN. Lockheed Martin Government Electronic Systems (GES), based in Moorestown, New Jersey, will be responsible for: Combat System Design Engineering, the MK92 fire control system - MOD 12, transmitter improvements, on-board training system, and land-based test site integration. In addition to the combat system elements, Lockheed Martin Launching Systems of Baltimore, Maryland, a unit of GES, will receive a contract for the MK 41 Vertical Launch System with ESSM quad-pack capability. ADI, an Australian defense firm, is the prime contractor for the upgrade program. The final value of the contracts will be negotiated over the next few months, but are estimated to be valued at approximately $200 million. The contracts are expected to be signed by the second quarter of 1999. The combat system contract extends through 2006 and will be managed by Lockheed Martin Australian Ltd. "This important new international business win demonstrates Lockheed Martin's ability to team with international partners and bring best-value solutions to customers throughout the world," said Robert B. Coutts, president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector and the acting president of its Government Electronic Systems unit. GES is the system design agent for the MK 92 Fire Control System for the U.S. Navy. Lockheed Martin Government Electronic Systems is a premier supplier of combat systems to the U.S. Navy as well as other nations around the world, and employs 3,500 people. It is an operating unit of Lockheed Martin Electronics Sector, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of advanced electronic systems for global defense, aerospace, civil and commercial markets