Lockheed Martin and Bristow Helicopters Australia Team For Helicopter Aircrew Training System

AVALON, Australia, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Bristow Helicopters Australia, an affiliated company of Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), today announced a partnership to offer a complete training solution to the Australian Defence Force for its Project Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) requirement.

The HATS program will provide a rotary-wing training capability for Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army aircrews. Lockheed Martin and Bristow will partner to provide a comprehensive student-centered training design with a demonstrated cost-effective helicopter support capability.

"The Lockheed Martin-Bristow team matches the leading developer and deliverer of proven aircrew training systems, with the world and Australian lead provider in offshore helicopter provision and maintenance," said Allan Blake, Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters Australia. "I am delighted the team has come together to offer the Australian Defence Force all of its combined experience and capabilities in support of Australia's military helicopter aircrews."

"Lockheed Martin excels at designing aviation training systems and then bringing all of the elements together to meet the needs of our military customers," said Dale Bennett, president of Lockheed Martin Global Training and Logistics. "We are committed to providing Australia a comprehensive training program focused on efficiently producing fully-trained, mission-ready aircrews."

Lockheed Martin will draw on its global training expertise to deliver an affordable and effective training system for Australian Defence Force rotary wing aircrews. The company annually trains more than 22,000 aircrew members in both fixed and rotary wing systems. For the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Lockheed Martin designed and is implementing a groundbreaking fifth-generation training system that matches affordability with innovation and unparalleled capability.

Bristow Helicopters Australia Pty. Limited is the largest provider of helicopter services to the Australian oil and gas industry with a fleet of approximately 35 helicopters. It also maintains the Republic of Singapore Air Force helicopter fleet at Oakey Army Aviation Centre, Australia. Bristow Helicopters Australia is an affiliated company of Bristow Group Inc., (NYSE: BRS),  the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated and one of two helicopter service providers to the offshore energy industry with global operations.  The Company has major transportation operations in the North Sea, Nigeria and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Russia and Trinidad.  

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 132,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

For additional information, visit our websites:

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

http://www.bristowgroup.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin