FORT WORTH, Texas,
Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) has entered a Department of Defense Mentor-Protege Agreement with
Aegisound, LLC, of
Blacksburg, Va., and will assist the company as it becomes
a supplier of advanced hearing-protection devices for military high-noise
environments, such as Naval carrier launch operations.
In the Mentor-Protege relationship, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will help
Aegisound, a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) company,
develop its capabilities for defense, aerospace and commercial markets during
a three-year period, working through the U.S. Navy Mentor-Protege office.
"We are committed to providing opportunities to small businesses. They
bring innovation and creativity, and a focus on cost, schedule and quality
-- essential elements of meeting our customers' requirements," said Gary
Bailey, vice president of Material Management for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
"Lockheed Martin will work toward developing Aegisound into a first-class
supplier, capable of producing the most sophisticated hearing protection
devices available today," Bailey said.
Aegisound's hearing-protection devices, developed for the F-35 Lightning
II program, resemble stereo headphones but employ state-of-the-art
active-noise-reduction technologies. The next-generation devices will replace
legacy hearing-protection devices that are based on 50-year-old technology.
The new devices will be worn on deck by aircraft carrier personnel during
catapult launches and maintenance activities. Hearing protection devices have
been standard equipment on flight decks for decades.
"Aegisound is honored to have the opportunity to participate in the
Lockheed Martin Mentor-Protege program," said Dr. Gary Gibbs, chief operating
officer of Aegisound.
As part of the Mentor-Protege initiative, Lockheed Martin will team with
Morehouse College, a Historically Black College/University. The Morehouse
College Entrepreneurship Center in Atlanta, Ga., will join with Lockheed
Martin to provide training, mentoring and consultancy to Aegisound.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security
company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged
in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment
of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
F-35 and Lightning II are trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
For additional information, visit our Web site:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
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