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ATK and Textron Systems Team on U.S. Army APL-A Program

Jun 22, 2000

Alliant Integrated Defense Company, Hopkins, Minn., an operating company of ATK (Alliant Techsystems)(NYSE: ATK), and Textron Systems, Wilmington, Mass., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron, Inc. (NYSE: TXT), announced an agreement to jointly develop and produce a tactical munition system that will serve as an alternative to anti-personnel landmines.

Working with the U.S. Army Armament, Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., the two companies will propose a single concept for the Army's Non Self-Destruct Alternatives (NSD-A) to Anti-Personnel Landmine Alternatives (APL-A) program. The concept, which will incorporate elements from prototype systems built and demonstrated by each company under previously awarded separate contracts, will form the basis for a joint engineering and manufacturing development effort that will lead to type classification and production in 2003. Fielding of the system is anticipated by 2005.

The initiative to develop an alternative to anti-personnel landmines is in response to a directive issued by President Clinton in September 1997 calling for an end to the use of anti-personnel landmines outside of Korea by 2003 and in Korea by 2006. The solutions proposed by Textron Systems and Alliant Integrated Defense Company were selected for evaluation from a number of industry concepts submitted in 1998.

Hubert D. Hopkins, president, Alliant Integrated Defense Company, said, "We are looking forward to working with Textron Systems and the Army to develop an APL-A system that protects our forces, shapes the battlefield, discriminates between combatants and civilians via man-in-the-loop, and leaves no risk to friendly troops or non-combatants following a conflict."

"This is an important program not only for our war fighters, but also for the U.S. and its allies who may require systems that meet international treaties," added Frank Tempesta, Textron Systems' senior vice president, Military Products. "The Army's decision to proceed with a joint contractor solution to the APL-A program will combine the best of both companies' proposals to ensure that the U.S. has the most effective and affordable system."

Textron Inc. is an $11.6 billion, global, multi-industry company with market-leading businesses in Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and Finance. Textron has a workforce of over 68,000 employees and major manufacturing facilities in 30 countries. Textron is among Fortune magazine's "Global Most Admired Companies." Additional information is available at http://www.textron.com/ .

ATK is a $1.1 billion aerospace and defense company with leading market positions in munitions, smart weapons and precision capabilities, propulsion, and composite structures. The company, which is headquartered in Hopkins, Minn., employs approximately 6,500 people and has three business segments: Conventional Munitions, Aerospace, and Defense Systems. ATK news and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com/

SOURCE: Alliant Integrated Defense Company

Contact: Media, Rod Bitz, 612-931-5413, rod_bitz@atk.com, Investors,
Melanie E. R. Miller, 612-931-6921, melanie_miller@atk.com, both of ATK, or
Media, Joanne Walsh, 978-657-2482, jwalsh@systems.textron.com , Investors,
Brian Sullivan, 401-457-2502, bsullivan@textron.com , both of Textron