Lockheed to Cut Jobs if Bush Budget OK'd WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) said it could be forced to begin laying off workers at its Marietta, Georgia, plant and elsewhere if Congress approves the fiscal 2006 budget proposed by President Bush on Monday. The budget for fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, maps out plans to end production of Lockheed's F/A-22, meant to replace the F-15 as the top U.S. air-to-air fighter, after 2009, and would cut the company's C-130J cargo plane from 2006. The cuts, totaling $10.5 billion and $4.9 billion, respectively, could have serious consequences for Lockheed's Marietta plant, which currently employs 8,000 people, said Lockheed spokesman Sam Grizzle, although he cautioned that the budget process was just beginning. "If this budget goes as proposed, we could be looking at some layoffs pretty soon," Grizzle told Reuters. "This is just the first step. The budget has to go through a whole process before it's actually signed into law," said the spokesman for the Bethesda, Maryland-based company. Lawmakers are often reluctant to approve major reductions in big weapons programs like the F/A-22 because they use a broad range of suppliers and maintain jobs in many states. Top Air Force officials have already said the Pentagon will carefully reassess the cutback in the program, which would result in building of 179 F/A-22s instead of the 276 currently planned, as part of a major review of defense programs conducted every four years that begins this year. Separately, the Pentagon on Monday said acting Defense Department acquisition chief Michael Wynne last week approved a contract for Lockheed to begin advance procurement for the 24 F/A-22s, or "Raptors," it will build in 2006. Spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin said Wynne issued an "acquisition decision memorandum" on Feb. 3 authorizing the Air Force to award Lockheed a contract for buying long-lead items for the stealthy fighter jet. Details were not immediately available on the anticipated size of the advanced procurement contract. Last week, the Air Force said an initial operational test and evaluation report rated the F/A-22 "effective" for combat. However, its sustainability in field operations was rated as only "potentially suitable" because the aircraft met interim milestones but did not meet every requirement needed before it is declared operational. Quelle "Lockheed to Cut Jobs if Bush Budget OK'd" : reuters.com Main page for "Lockheed to Cut Jobs if Bush Budget OK'd"