Lockheed Martin and NANA Development Corporation has announced that they are partnering in the competition for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment Contract.

Together, the corporations will apply their proven experience to ensure the reliability and readiness of the GMD element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, which defends the U.S., its deployed military forces, friends and allies against a limited attack by intermediate- and long-range ballistic missiles.

The GMD Development and Sustainment Contract will entail development, manufacturing, test, training, operations support and sustainment support.

"We are honored to welcome NANA Development Corporation to our GMD team," said Mathew J. Joyce, GMD vice president and program manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

"This represents a win-win for the GMD program and the state of Alaska. NANA Development Corporation's family of companies will be a key contributor to an open government-industry partnership that will ensure responsiveness and mission focus."

NANA's Sivuniq and Akima Logistic Services will work together to provide logistics management, engineering and supply support services at Fort Greely, Alaska, and in Huntsville, Ala.

"Our NANA companies will draw upon our expertise as the Fort Greely base operations support contractor for the Army in providing consistent and transparent integrated logistics support for GMD in partnership with Lockheed Martin," said Helvi Sandvik, president, NANA Development Corporation.

"The NANA family of federal facilities management and logistic companies has a track record of success in supporting the U.S. military and federal government by reliably providing essential services in a cost-effective manner; delivering on-time and on-budget." NANA companies have been in residence working to develop and support Fort Greely for the past seven years.

Lockheed Martin's credentials for GMD Development and Sustainment include more than 30 years of experience in missile defense development, production, testing and fielding, more than 50 years of experience in strategic weapon system operations and sustainment, and award-winning performance-based logistics expertise.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile.

The company makes significant contributions to most major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.

The Missile Defense Agency issued an amended draft request for proposals for GMD Development and Sustainment May 14 and has announced that it will issue a final request for proposals this summer and award the contract in 2011. In addition to Fort Greely and Huntsville, work will be performed at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.