A. Lee Graham Reporter lgraham@bizpress.net Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., the Fort Worth-based aeronautics segment of Lockheed Martin Corp., has chosen Jeff Babione as vice president and deputy program manager of the F-35 Lightning II fighter program. Leading the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group in an acting capacity until a permanent successor is found will be Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of aeronautics operations. Both appointments are effective immediately. “Jeff’s experience of managing both the world’s first fifth-generation fighter program and the F-16, a complex, international multirole fighter program upon which the F-35 is modeled, makes him uniquely prepared to step into this new role and deliver an immediate impact from day one,” said Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of aeronautics, commenting in a news release. “Bridget is a proven leader capable of handling multiple priorities and delivering results,” Carvalho said. “Her past record leading F-16/F-2/T-50 and F-22 Product Development will be invaluable as she takes on the added responsibility of overseeing the IFG until a permanent successor is named in the coming weeks.” As vice president and general manager of the F-16/F-22 IFG, Babione was responsible for all aspects of the development, manufacture and sustainment of the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter and the F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter programs. He joined Lockheed Martin more than 20 years ago after working at Boeing Co. on the initial structural design analysis of the YF-22 prototype. Lockheed Martin Corp., based in Bethesda, Md., is a global security and aerospace company employing about 120,000 people worldwide. It designs, develops, builds and builds advanced technology systems, products and services. More information is available atwww.lockheedmartin.com.