BETHESDA, Md., July 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Security Service has given Lockheed Martin an unprecedented four awards for outstanding industrial security.
"These awards are tremendous recognition of the important work our corporation's security professionals do each and every day," said Bob Trono, Lockheed Martin's chief security officer. "Protecting our people, our facilities, our information and our systems must remain a priority in light of the critical work our corporation does to promote global security."
DSS's James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Awards are given to defense contractors subject to recurring DSS inspections. Lockheed garnered four of the 17 of the 2011 awards.
The awards were for its Missiles and Fire Control Facility in Troy, Ala., which supports the production of THAAD, JASSM and Javelin missiles.
The manufacturing environment presents many unique challenges to the security program such as Arms, Ammunition and Explosives and Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards requirements. Notably, the facility has been awarded eight consecutive "Superior" ratings by DSS.
Also recognized was a similar facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, which provides engineering and manufacturing support to programs such as PAC-3 and MEADS.
Lockheed's Medium Extended Air Defense System International Organization, the prime contractor for MEADS, a ground-mobile air and missile defense system that incorporates the hit-to-kill Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement Missile, 360-degree radars, netted and distributed battle management and high-firepower launchers was also recognized for its security, as was the LMSecurity Operations Center in Orlando, Fla., a security clearance processing center that manages more than 75,000 Defense Department security clearances for the corporation.
