Lockheed gets Hellfire depot extension

Lockheed Martin Corp. won a $58.3 million contract from the Army to continue operating the Hellfire Missile Depot. The one-year contract had three option years.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., will not only run the missile depot but also continue worldwide field support of the Hellfire missile system.

The Hellfire Missile Depot is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility that handles missile repair, reset and retrofitting. It is housed at the Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Ala.

The Hellfire II has three warhead variations that can be used against a broad set of targets, including armored vehicles, buildings and bunkers, and caves. The weapon is delivered from a variety of platforms, such as the Apache, Cobra and Seahawk attack helicopters, Kiowa Warrior scout helicopter and Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.

Lockheed Martin has 140,000 employees and had annual sales of $39.6 billion in 2006. It ranks No. 1 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.