''Protector'' Unmanned Surface Vehicle Demonstrated to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard for Force Protection.

MINNEAPOLIS -- BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Rafael Armament Development Authority, Ltd., have announced the arrival of the Protector Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) in the U.S. The companies will be demonstrating the USV's force protection capabilities to the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and other maritime security agencies.

Protector is a remote-controlled USV that is equipped with a stabilized mini-Typhoon weapon system (MK 49 Mod 0), cameras, radar equipment and electro optics. Highly autonomous, the Protector can successfully operate with general guidance from a commander and operator in port, riverine, harbor and coastal waterways - making it an innovative solution for today's critical missions, including force protection, anti-terror, and surveillance and reconnaissance. The Protector was developed by Rafael in response to emerging terrorist threats against maritime assets, and is the only operational USV that exists today.

"The Protector has performed exceptionally well in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean," said Steve Kelly, director of BAE Systems Naval Systems in Minneapolis. "This system is ready and available today to meet the needs of our maritime security and defense forces."

The Protector USV was featured at the U.S. Special Operations Command trade show in Tampa Bay, Florida in June, and will be demonstrated in Little Creek, Virginia, San Diego, California, and Washington, D.C. in the coming months. The demonstrations will highlight the system's ability to be integrated with several different mission modules, showcase the boat's speed and stealthy maneuverability, and perform surveillance and intercept missions against realistic targets.

"We're excited to introduce this unmanned system to the U.S.," said Sean Patton, senior manager of Lockheed Martin's LCS Business Development team. "The Protector will provide Sailors with the capabilities they need to complete their missions more efficiently. The Protector can be the first line of defense, checking-out vessels of interest at arm's length, while our personnel and capital assets are held at a safe distance."

BAE Systems and Rafael are teamed for product production and all other program developments with Lockheed Martin leading the Protector team for Littoral Combat Ship and Deepwater programs and Combat System integration efforts.

For more information on the Protector USV, visit BAE Systems Protector at http://www.ws-wr.com/epk/BAE_Protector/

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier transatlantic defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. BAE Systems, with more than 100,000 employees worldwide, had 2005 sales that exceeded $28 billion.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About Rafael Ltd.

RAFAEL designs, develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of advanced defense systems. These leading edge products include air-to-air missiles, air defense systems, naval, air and ground precision weapons, electro-optic systems, electronic warfare (EW) systems, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) systems, acoustic defense systems, armored protection and training systems.