Lockheed Martin chairman/CEO Coffman receives Navy league's 2001 Nimitz award

Sea Power, Jun 2001

NLUS National President John R. Fisher has presented the Navy League's 2001 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award to Dr. Vance D. Coffman, chairman and chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, citing him for his "outstanding leadership and dedication to the maritime strength of the United States and its allies ... during [an] exemplary career of more than three decades." Coffman is a leader "of the utmost integrity," Fisher said, "totally dedicated to ... our national defense, and a great American in every sense of the word."

Coffman is the 21st recipient of the Nimitz Award, which was established by the Navy League to recognize an individual who, or organization that, "has made an exemplary contribution to our nation's strength and, in turn, our national security." The Navy League's guidelines specify that the person selected to receive the award should possess "the qualities of leadership, statesmanship, and dedication exemplified by Admiral Nimitz himself," and suggest that special consideration should be given to the awardee's "long-term contributions to national security."

Coffman "meets all of the criteria specified," Fisher said, "and then some. He is an outstanding patriot who through his own personal dedication and numerous professional achievements has ensured that excellence is both the bottom line and the end result of all of the programs under his jurisdiction at Lockheed Martin, one of the major pillars of capability that make up our nation's defense industrial base. He is a truly worthy recipient of the 2001 Nimitz Award. I am honored and privileged, on behalf of the Navy League of the United States, to salute both Dr. Coffman and Lockheed Martin for their many accomplishments."

Following are additional excerpts from the award citation:

"Dr. Coffman has demonstrated an unwavering focus and commitment to the United States Navy, our countrys national security, and the entire defense industry. The list of programs benefiting from ... [his] managerial expertise is extensive and impressive. Under his direction, Lockheed Martin has expanded its service to our Navy and has increased the focus on critical programs such as Network Centric Warfare, the Joint Strike Fighter, the DD-21 Land Attack Destroyer, and the U.S. Coast Guard Deepwater Program. These contributions have secured the U.S. Navy's preeminent position among the navies of the world, and our national security against any maritime or air threat. Through his quiet dignity, clear vision, and steadfast conviction, Dr. Coffman has been a driving force in the establishment of industry benchmarks for the design and production of naval warfare systems." A flight-ready shaft-driven lift fan -- manufactured by Rolls Royce -- has been delivered to the Lockheed Martin facility in Palmdale, Calif., for installation into the X-35B-Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstration aircraft. Earlier, the X-35B had successfully completed hover-pit testing of its STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) propulsion system, and also had tested nozzle dynamic responses in a series of engine runs. Company officials said that the aircraft's shaft-driven lift fan "produces abundant vertical lift, lower exhaust temperatures, and a more acceptable ground environment than traditional direct-lift systems, while eliminating hot-gas reingestion problems typical in conventional STOVL designs." The hover-pit tests were conducted with special landing gear that allowed load cells to measure STOVL lift forces and moments directly, while keeping the aircraft from lifting into a hover. More than 100 hover tests were conducted in a two-week period during which BAE Systems test pilot Simon Hargreaves performed full rehearsals of vertical flight, including conversions from the CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) mode to the STOVL mode. Successful completion of the test series "not only positions the X-35B for STOVL flights this summer, but also means that no further engine development is needed to meet JSF STOVL requirements," said Harry Blot, deputy program manager for the Lockheed Martin JSF program. "The Pratt & Whitney engine and Rolls-Royce fan performed beautifully."