VISUALIZATION

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., -- SGI announced that Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. (NYSE: LMT) has purchased SGI(R) visualization systems to power Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) flight simulation laboratory in Fort Worth, Texas. These SGI high-performance graphics systems will help the lab further refine the design of this stealthy, next-generation fighter aircraft. A multimillion-dollar purchase order booked this quarter includes SGI(R) Onyx(R) 3000 series and SGI(R) Onyx(R) 300 visualization systems, as well as Silicon Graphics(R) Octane2(TM) workstations. Lockheed Martin engineers have finalized the external design of the F-35 JSF, but will continue to tweak the internal design by leveraging the compute and graphics power of its SGI systems. "The cornerstone of the F-35 is affordability, achieved in large part through a very high level of common parts and systems across the three versions of the aircraft," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 JSF program general manager. "SGI visualization technology has helped us achieve that commonality through significant advancement in the design of the aircraft, and we will rely on that technology as we approach the JSF program's next milestone, Preliminary Design Review, which is scheduled for March 2003." The F-35 "lines freeze" milestone was achieved, as scheduled, on June 27, 2002. Finalized external design changes made with the help of SGI visualization technology include: -- Extending the forward fuselage by 5 inches to better accommodate avionics and sensors and moving the horizontal tail rearward by 2 inches to maintain stability and control with the newly extended forward fuselage -- Raising by about 1 inch the top surface of the aircraft along the centerline, increasing fuel capacity by 300 pounds and extending range -- Adding slightly more twist to the wing camber on the CV (aircraft-carrier) version to improve both handling qualities and transonic performance -- Adjusting the positioning of the vertical tails slightly to improve aerodynamic performance The next-generation F-35 is a stealthy (radar-evading), supersonic multirole fighter designed to meet the U.S. government's requirements for a new generation of transformational weapons. The single-engine JSF will be manufactured in three versions: a conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) variant for the U.S. Air Force, an aircraft-carrier version for the U.S. Navy and a short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) version for the U.S. Marine Corps. The F-35 is designed to replace aging fighter inventories, including U.S. Air Force A-10s and F-16s, U.S. Navy F/A-18s, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin Corp., is the prime contractor to develop the F-35 for the U. S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and allied nations.