F-16 PRODUCERS INTERACT WITH INDIAN COMPANIES

New Delhi, 21 November 2006

NEW DELHI, November 22 (INFA): Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), the world’s premier defence contractor, is conducting follow-up activities in India in conjunction with the two-day supplier conference it conducted in Bangalore in August last.

Current activities include site surveys to validate Indian manufacturing and quality capabilities in preparation for eventually placing work with Indian companies.

Over 50 Indian companies were represented at the supplier conference and more than 20 have been visited or are scheduled to be visited by Lockheed Martin site surveys teams before the end of the year.  Potentially viable companies have been identified in locations including Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala and New Delhi.

Lockheed Martin’s objective is to promote India capabilities to match current needs for airframe parts, major aircraft systems, engineering services and Integrated Logistics activities required to support the corporation’s defence products. “These activities are the next step in the process of developing long term business relationships between Lockheed Martin and the Indian supply chain,” said Orville Prins, Vice President for Business Development-India at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, visited India earlier this month and met with a number of Government, industry and military officials. Ralph D. Heath, President of the corporation’s Aeronautics business area, visited India during October.

Military aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin include the F-16 multi-role fighter, F-35 Lightning II, C-130J Super Hercules transport and P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft.  The company also provides a wide variety of other goods and services for use by Governments, ranging from air traffic management systems to postal sorting.

Lockheed Martin has a long and successful record of offset or counter-trade participation, having accomplished projects valued at more than $40 billion (U.S.) in 37 nations.  More than 40 companies in a dozen different nations have produced parts for the F-16 aircraft and nearly 1,000 F-16s have been delivered from manufacturing facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey and South Korea.

The company’s offset programmes have provided customer nations with technology transfer and participation in the development of new aircraft and systems, in addition to build-to print component manufacturing.  For example, Japan’s F-2 fighter and Korea’s new T-50 trainer both resulted from joint development projects established with Lockheed Martin. ---INFA

RISING CANCER CASES IN ANDHRA

HYDERABAD, November 22 (INFA): The incidence of breast cancer cases in Andhra Pradesh is increasing rapidly in urban areas, particularly among young women. Their screening is very necessary according to an expert who had been to the city recently.

At least one lakh new breast cancer patients were being registered in India. Majority belong to Andhra Pradesh.---INFA