Lockheed Martin has selected Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. to design, develop, manufacture and test the Communications, Navigation, and Identification (CNI) integrated body antenna suite for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The JSF antenna suite will include one S-Band, two UHF, two Radar Altimeter, and three L-band antennas per aircraft.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program entails the development of a family of affordable and stealthy tactical aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, the U.K. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and allies worldwide. Ball Aerospace antennas will be used on all variants of the F-35.
"This award reaffirms Ball Aerospace as a world leader in the design and production of low-observable antennas," said Mike Cerneck, Defense Operations vice president and general manager.
The current contract is for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase which includes qualification of all designs and pre-production hardware plus development of an SDD plan that enables transition to full-rate production and subsequent fielding of operational squadrons.
Ball Aerospace has over thirty years of experience in the design fabrication and test of low-observable antennas dating back to the technology development programs in the mid-1980's. Ball Aerospace's legacy experience in developing L-band, S-band, UHF line-of-sight, and SATCOM antenna technology helped solidify this award. Similar technology has recently been adapted to meet United States Marine Corps requirements for Satellite Communications On The Move and Line-Of-Sight communications for the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle program.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. provides imaging and communications products for commercial and government customers worldwide and is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation
Forward-Looking Statements:
The information in this news release contains "forward-looking" statements. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those expressed or implied. As time passes, the relevance and accuracy of forward-looking statements contained in this release may change. The Company currently does not intend to update any particular forward-looking statement except, as it deems necessary at quarterly or annual release of earnings. Please refer to the Form 10-Q filed by Ball Corporation on November 14, 2002, for a summary of key risk factors that could affect actual results or outcomes. Factors that may affect the Aerospace segment or business are: funding, authorization, and availability of government contracts; and technical uncertainty associated with Aerospace segment contracts. Factors that could affect the Company as a whole include those listed plus: successful and unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures and the integration activities associated therewith; the inability to purchase the Company's common stock; regulatory action or laws including those related to corporate governance and financial reporting, regulations and standards, business consolidation investment costs and the net realizable value of assets associated with the Company's activities; goodwill impairment; changes in generally accepted accounting principles or their interpretation; litigation, including intellectual property and antitrust; strikes; boycotts; interest rates and level of company debt; terrorist activities, war or catastrophic events; and U.S. and foreign economic conditions.
SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
CONTACT: Jennifer Meyer, +1-303-533-7155, or Rachelle Wood,
+1-303-939-6606, both of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.,