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Lockheed Martin awarded patent for a three-axis flap control system
for reentry vehicles

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 3, 2003 -- The United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Lockheed Martin Corporation a
patent for an innovative, three-axis flap control system that
promises to revolutionize the steering of rocket-launched, hypersonic
and supersonic reentry vehicles/projectiles.

The advanced design enables a single, simple, low-cost control system
to steer the reentry vehicles in all three axes (pitch, yaw, and
roll). The three-axis flap control system provides quick response and
increased capability and controllability for difficult aerodynamic
maneuvers, as well as increased accuracy and weapon effectiveness.
The patent (Patent Number 6,502,785 B1) was issued on Jan. 7, 2003.

"This is a significant technological breakthrough," said Roger Teter,
director of Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Reentry Systems at Lockheed
Martin Space & Strategic Missiles and one of the three principal
inventors of the system. "The three-axis flap control system
represents a major step toward achieving low-cost, highly
maneuverable reentry vehicles for many different high priority
precision strike military missions such as defeating hard and deeply
buried targets." 

The control system employs four aft flush mounted movable flaps (or
control surfaces) of uniform design, which decreases machining and
manufacturing costs. The flaps are positioned on the vehicle
orthogonally, but offset from the vehicle centerline. By actuating
various combinations of flaps into the airstream, any desired vehicle
orientation may be achieved. The flaps, which are all independently
controlled, may be extended (deployed) from the stowed, non-deployed,
position to any desired deployed position, providing a variable
control system for rocket-propelled projectiles and reentry vehicles.

A demonstration of the flap control system was conducted in October
2002. A prototype three-axis flap control system was fabricated and
integrated into a full-scale, fully instrumented Navy Mk 4 reentry
body and successfully flown from a Trident II D5 FBM during a routine
operational test flight. The three-axis flap control system performed
flawlessly during the mission and precisely navigated the reentry
body to the intended target. Further tests of the three-axis flap
control system are planned for the near future. 

In addition, the U.S. Navy now intends to incorporate this new
technology development into its Enhanced Effectiveness (E2)
Demonstration Program, which will demonstrate a near-term capability
to steer a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) warhead from a
Trident II D5 missile to Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-like
accuracy. This program is scheduled to start in FY 2004.

In January 2003, Technology Review--published by the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT)-- for the third consecutive year ranked
Lockheed Martin first in the aerospace industry for the technological
strength and innovation of its patents. Last year, USPTO issued 199
patents to Lockheed Martin scientists and engineers.

Space & Strategic Missiles is a key element of Lockheed Martin Space
Systems Company, headquartered in Denver, Colo., one of the major
operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems
designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a variety of
advanced technology systems for military, civil and commercial
customers. Chief products include space launch and ground systems,
remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial and
government customers, advanced space observatories and interplanetary
spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin employs about
125,000 people worldwide and is a global enterprise principally
engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and
integration of advanced technology systems, products, and services.
The Corporation reported 2002 sales of $26.6 billion.

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For more information about Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic
Missiles, see our websites.

June 2003
03-24

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