Intelligence

ATK Awarded $13 Million Contract To Produce Composite Parts for Global Hawk Unmanned Reconnaissance System

PRODUCTION OPTIONS COULD RAISE TOTAL PROGRAM VALUE TO $92 MILLION

Oct 2, 2002

Minneapolis, Oct. 2, 2002 – ATK (Alliant Techsystems, NYSE: ATK) has been awarded a $13 million contract to supply Vought Aircraft Industries, Dallas, Texas, composite parts for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial reconnaissance system. Production options could raise the total value of the contract to $92 million by 2010.

Under the initial contract, ATK will fabricate graphite epoxy components for an enhanced Global Hawk wing, one of several system improvements being made to accommodate a larger payload. Key structures to be provided include upper and lower wing skins with a proposed length up to 67 feet as well as spars, ribs, and leading-edge, control-surface, and trailing-edge components. Delivery of the first ship set to Vought is scheduled for mid-2004.

"We are pleased to expand our successful aircraft structures partnership with Vought Aircraft Industries and to be a participant on the important Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle program, which is vital to America’s national security," said Travis Campbell, president, ATK Composites.

ATK also supplies composites parts to Vought for the F-22 Raptor, the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation stealthy air dominance fighter.

ATK Composites, Clearfield, Utah, will be responsible for overall management of the Global Hawk program as well as tooling design. The company’s Southern Composites Center, Iuka, Miss., and ATK Tactical Systems, Rocket Center, W.Va. will share manufacturing work on the program.

Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial reconnaissance system designed to provide military field commanders with high-resolution, near-real-time imagery of large geographic areas. The Global Hawk program is in low-rate initial production for the U.S. Air Force’s Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is the prime contractor.

The largest producer of filament-wound and fiber-placed structures in the U.S., ATK has a 40-year heritage in the design and production of composite structures for aerospace and defense applications. The company produces structures for military and commercial aircraft, space launch vehicles, satellites, spacecraft, and weapons systems at manufacturing facilities in Magna, Utah, Clearfield, Utah, Iuka, Miss., Rocket Center, W. Va, and Huntsville, Ala.

ATK is a $2.1 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities. The company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minn., employs approximately 11,300 people and has three business groups: Aerospace, Precision Systems, and Ammunition. ATK news and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com) is the world's largest independent supplier of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company provides wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles, thrust reversers, and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft.