SYRACUSE, NY, 17-FEB-03 -- More than 65 engineers from Lockheed Martin in Syracuse are visiting Central New York schools during February and March in activities related to National Engineers Week. Engineers will engage in hands-on activities with students in grades 4 - 12, such as egg drop experiments, to explore how engineers create the leading-edge designs that improve every-day life. National Engineers Week, which officially takes place Feb. 16-22, is intended to increase the public's awareness and appreciation of the engineering profession. During the week, engineers across the U.S. participate in a variety of activities to help create an interest in engineering, math and science, especially among young men, women and minorities.

This year, Vance Coffman, chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation, is honorary chair of National Engineers Week, which is sponsoring activities around the country. National Engineers Week is one way we highlight the contributions of engineers to America's economic strength and its technological leadership, he said. We celebrate past contributions and we draw attention to the growing need for new talent to be brought into the engineering profession.

To that end, Lockheed Martin engineers in Syracuse will visit more than 40 schools, including the following locations:

*North Syracuse Junior High School - Feb. 4
*Cicero-North Syracuse High School - Feb. 25 and 26
*Oneida Junior High School - Feb. 26
*Lafayette Junior/Senior High School - Feb. 27
*North Syracuse Middle School at Roxboro Rd. - Feb. 28
*West Genesee High School - Mar. 11
*Chittenango Junior High School - Mar. 11
*Faith Heritage School - Mar. 13
*Camillus Middle School - Apr. 3

A leader in ground-based and airborne radar, surface vessel and submarine electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare systems and sensors, minehunting systems and vessel traffic management, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS) in Syracuse serves customers including all branches of the U.S. armed forces, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Transportation and State, and defense and transportation departments of countries on six continents. NE&SS-Syracuse employs approximately 2,300 people at its Syracuse, N.Y., headquarters and is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.