Lockheed Martin named Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. its Joint Strike Fighter Mission Systems Distinguished Supplier in recognition of outstanding performance related to the Communication, Navigation and Identification (CNI) integrated body aperture suite for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Presented Nov. 11 by Major General John Hudson and Lockheed Martin Sr. Vice President and JSF Program Manager Tom Burbage, Ball Aerospace was recognized as the JSF Mission Systems supplier of the year based on its creative and innovative solutions to complex technical problems, and exceptional prototype development; as well as its strong standing with team partners' rating systems.

"Ball Aerospace is very proactive," said Lockheed Martin Mission Systems Director David Larson. "They are a model for other contractors."

The F-35 JSF program comprises 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 is providing antenna configurations for the three F-35 variants operating at UHF SATCOM and LOS, L-band, S-band and C-band.

"It's very exciting to be selected from among approximately 100 different suppliers, and to be considered a supplier benchmark for re-engineering processes that improve affordability and cycle time," said Ball Aerospace JSF Sr. Program Manager Don Figgins. "It's important to us to not just solve aperture issues, but to also help Lockheed Martin solve JSF system problems."

Ball Aerospace provides antenna solutions for communications, navigation, identification, telemetry, tracking and command destruct, radar and electronic warfare and is an internationally recognized developer and manufacturer of advanced antennas and Radio Frequency (RF) communication subsystems ranging from spacecraft, aviation platforms, missiles and ground vehicles to portable systems, communications structures, and maritime platforms (ships, small craft, and submarines).

Ball Aerospace conducts domestic and international business in the defense, civil and commercial space arenas, providing best value and innovative solutions. The company supports national policy-makers, the military services, NASA and other U.S. Government agencies, as well as numerous aerospace industry companies.

Ball Corporation is one of the world's leading suppliers of metal and plastic packaging to the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. With the addition of Ball Packaging Europe, acquired in December 2002, Ball expects to report 2003 sales of approximately $4.9 billion, with $4.4 billion from packaging and $500 million from aerospace.

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 10, 2003, for a summary of key risk factors that could affect actual results or outcomes. Factors that might affect the packaging segments of the company are: fluctuation in consumer and customer demand; competitive packaging material availability, pricing and substitution; the weather; fruit, vegetable and fishing yields; company and industry productive capacity and competitive activity; lack of productivity improvement or production cost reductions; regulatory action or laws, including the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws and environmental and workplace safety regulations; availability and cost of raw materials, energy and transportation; the ability or inability to pass on to customers changes in these costs, particularly resin, steel and aluminum; pricing and ability or inability to sell scrap; international business risks (including foreign exchange rates and tax rates) particularly in the United States, Europe and in developing countries such as China and Brazil; and the effect of LIFO accounting on earnings. Factors that may affect the aerospace segment are: funding, authorization and availability of government contracts and the nature and continuation of those 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 including the integration and operation of the business of Schmalbach-Lubeca AG, now known as Ball Packaging Europe; the inability to purchase the company's common stock; insufficient or reduced cash flow; regulatory action or laws including those related to corporate governance and financial reporting, regulations and standards; actual and estimated business consolidation and investment costs and the net realizable value of assets associated with these activities; goodwill impairment; changes in generally accepted accounting principles or their interpretation; litigation; antitrust, intellectual property, consumer and other issues; strikes; boycotts; increases in various employee benefits and labor costs, specifically pension, medical and health care costs incurred in the countries in which Ball has operations; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; interest rates and level of company debt, including floating rate debt; terrorist activities, war or catastrophic events that disrupt or impact production, supply or pricing of the company's goods and services, including raw materials and energy costs, or disrupt or impact the credit and financing of the company's businesses; and U.S. and foreign economic conditions.

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.