DALLAS and COSTA MESA, CA -- Lockheed Martin has signed a nonexclusive licensing agreement with Ceradyne, Inc., for the development, manufacture and application of the Lockheed Martin-developed TekShield™ lightweight, opaque ceramic armor.

TekShield can protect Soldiers against coupled threat effects common in today’s urban tactical environments, such as a bomb blasts followed by a swarm of projectiles or armor-piercing sniper fire. The system’s unique ceramic design represents a new generation of protection that is affordable, lightweight and superior to legacy ceramic armor.

“TekShield has been tested against a variety of ballistic threats, from hand grenades to bomb blasts, and this level of vehicle protection has never been delivered in such a lightweight design,” said Reggie Grant, director for Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Combining Lockheed Martin’s systems integration experience with Ceradyne’s knowledge of ceramics will more quickly deliver lightweight, affordable ceramic vehicle armor to the Warfighters who need it most.”

“Lockheed Martin’s initial development of TekShield has opened a new path for applying ceramic armor to tactical vehicles,” said Marc King, president of Ceradyne Armor Systems. “TekShield combined with Ceradyne’s expertise in lightweight ceramic armor applications and designs will create a new class of lightweight armor to better support the expeditionary requirements of our tactical vehicle fleet.”

TekShield armor technology can easily scale to meet specific threats, from small caliber rifles and mid-range cannons to IEDs and other explosive devices. Unlike other armor products, TekShield can be developed for opaque, transparent and semi-reactive applications, depending on customer needs.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 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 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.

Ceradyne develops manufactures and markets advanced technical ceramic products and components for defense, industrial, automotive/diesel and commercial applications.

Lockheed Martin
10.08.2010