Contract Award: Gibbs & Cox, Inc., Class Design Agent for the Lockheed Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Team.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy has awarded a Lockheed Martin led industry team a fixed price incentive fee contract to construct the Navy's third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Gibbs & Cox, Inc., naval architects and marine engineers, is the Design Agent for the Lockheed Martin Team.

"Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is proud to be a member of the Lockheed Martin LCS team and we are committed to the U.S. Navy's LCS program," said Kevin Moak, Chairman of Gibbs & Cox, Inc. "We, along with our teammates, Lockheed Martin, Marinette Marine, and Bollinger Shipyards, look forward to continuing our support to this critical program."

Gibbs & Cox, Inc. was the Lead Ship Design Agent for the nation's first LCS, USS Freedom. USS Freedom was commissioned by the Navy on November 8, 2008, following successful sea trials in August and delivery in September. Gibbs & Cox, Inc. will continue as the Design Agent for the next Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship.

The Lockheed Martin team design for LCS is a survivable, semi-planing steel monohull that provides outstanding maneuverability with proven sea-keeping characteristics and innovative design features to support launch and recovery operations of manned and unmanned vehicles. Reaching speeds well over 40 knots, the ship is a networked surface combatant with operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and the potential for a wide range of additional missions, including maritime interdiction and humanitarian/disaster relief.

Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is an independent engineering and design firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering, management support, and engineering consulting. The firm is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with offices in New York City, Washington D.C., Hampton, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.gibbscox.com