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L-3 Communications'
CyTerra Awarded $300 Million Multiyear Contract for up to
17,000 New Hand-Held Mine Detectors from U.S. Army
August 9, 2006
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 9, 2006--
L-3 CyTerra Wins Pentagon Contract for State-of-the-Art
Detector That Identifies Buried Landmines, Explosives, and
Weapons
L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that its
CyTerra (L-3 CyTerra) subsidiary has been awarded an AN/PSS-14
Mine Detecting Set Full Rate Production contract from the
U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management
Command Acquisition Center - Washington. L-3 CyTerra will
deliver up to 17,000 AN/PSS-14 Mine Detecting Sets, as well
as Sweep Monitoring Systems for training, Training Target
Sets, and worldwide training and support over a ten-year
period, including options.
The anticipated value of the contract over its ten-year
life is in excess of $300 million, with a first order value
of approximately $24 million. "This award from the
U.S. Army confirms that our recent acquisition of CyTerra
has been strategic to the continued success of expanding
L-3's product offering to military markets," noted
Michael T. Strianese, interim chief executive officer and
chief financial officer of L-3 Communications. "Additionally,
L-3 CyTerra will also prove to be a key building block in
the expansion of L-3's homeland security offerings."
L-3 acquired CyTerra on March 3, 2006.
As U.S. troops continue to operate in one of the world's
most heavily mined regions, the United States Army will
now have the most capable mine detector equipment ever deployed.
Unlike earlier generations of equipment that relied on metal
detection alone, the AN/PSS-14 combines metal detection
with ground penetrating radar. Weighing only nine pounds,
the unit detects both metallic and low-metallic anti-personnel
and anti-tank mines in all types of soil.
"We are committed to continuing our work with the
Army and the Department of Defense to put this new equipment
in the hands of our soldiers as quickly as possible,"
said Craig Coy, president and chief operating officer of
the L-3 Homeland Security Group. "Mine detection is
one of the riskiest procedures in the military, and this
technology significantly improves the speed and safety of
mine clearance operations for U.S. soldiers. The accelerated
deployment of the system means that we will be able to provide
our ground troops with the most sophisticated equipment
available today."
David Fine, president of L-3 CyTerra added, "Our technology
dramatically enhances the capability of our soldiers to
readily find and locate buried mines in all types of soil
and terrain. We're proud of our partnership with the Army,
which has worked so aggressively to develop this breakthrough
mine detection technology."
The AN/PSS-14 was developed under the U.S. Army's Hand-held
Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS) program. It will
be used in conjunction with other mine clearing tools, such
as heavy equipment fitted with special plows, and the strategic
use of counter-explosives.
The lightweight AN/PSS-14, which folds up into a compact
package, allows soldiers to easily operate the system while
clearing minefields. The unit has been shown in U.S. Army
trials to be capable of detecting nearly 100% of mines in
all terrain, with a minimum of false alarms.
To date, L-3 CyTerra has already delivered more than 2,000
AN/PSS-14 Mine Detecting Sets to the U.S. Army and U.S.
Marine Corps on a previous contract, and partners with Tobyhanna
Army Depot support and training for the units worldwide.
Headquartered in Orlando, FL and founded in 2000, L-3 CyTerra
currently serves a broad customer base that includes the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Army and Navy, the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and several
foreign militaries. L-3 CyTerra is a leader in the development
and manufacture of a number of sophisticated sensors for
the military and homeland security markets. The company's
threat detection capabilities include the AN/PSS-14 next-generation
U.S. Army mine detector, advanced through-wall radar and
explosive detection sensors for checkpoints. Its products
are used by the U.S. Army as their standard for portable
land mine detection. L-3 CyTerra's explosives detection
gateways and see-through building detectors are new products
being introduced as first-of-breed next generation sensors.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a
leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
(ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization,
training and government services. The company is a leading
merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products,
including guidance and navigation, sensors, scanners, fuzes,
data links, propulsion systems, simulators, avionics, electro
optics, satellite communications, electrical power equipment,
encryption, signal intelligence, antennas and microwave
components. L-3 also supports a variety of Homeland Security
initiatives with products and services. Its customers include
the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security,
selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace
prime contractors.
To learn more about L-3 Communications, please visit the
company's web site at www.L-3com.com.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION
REFORM ACT OF 1995
Except for historical information contained herein, the
matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking
statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that
depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include
words such as "expects," "anticipates,"
"intends," "plans," "believes,"
"estimates" and similar expressions are forward-looking
statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above
involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from any such statement,
including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's
Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-looking Statements
included in the company's recent filings, including Forms
10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.
Contact: Cynthia Swain
Vice President, Corporate Communications
L-3 Communications
212-697-1111
Contact: Financial Dynamics For Immediate Release
Investors: Eric Boyriven, Alexandra Tramont
Media: Evan Goetz
212-850-5600
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