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ATK Selected by Lockheed Martin to Produce Composite Structures for Atlas V Launch Vehicle

Dec 5, 2000

ATK (Alliant Techsystems, NYSE: ATK) said it has been selected by Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Astronautics Operations, Littleton, Colo., to produce composite structures for Lockheed Martin's new Atlas V family of space launch vehicles.

The Atlas V family of vehicles is designed to meet the U.S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) requirements. Atlas V results from the culmination of Lockheed Martin's desire to employ the best practices from both the Atlas and Titan programs into an evolved and highly competitive commercial and government launch system for the 21st century. Atlas V will achieve initial launch capability in early 2002.

Paul A. Ross, senior group vice president, Aerospace, said the market for advanced composite materials is expanding to meet increasing requirements for greater performance and lower weight in space launch vehicles such as the Atlas V.

"ATK is in an excellent position to benefit from this market growth," said Ross. "Patented manufacturing techniques together with strict and uncompromising attention to process control, schedule, and affordability have made ATK one of the world's leading manufacturers of composite structures. We operate more fiber placement machines than any other supplier in the world, and we are also an industry leader in both hand laid-up and filament-wound composite structures."

"This award is significant because it provides ATK the opportunity to continue to demonstrate its expertise in providing large, fiber-placed composite structures to the aerospace industry," said Travis Campbell, president, ATK Aerospace Composite Structures Company.

"We are pleased to be part of the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Atlas V team," said Jim Nichols, composite structures programs director, ATK Aerospace Composite Structures Company. "By making access to space more affordable, this new family of vehicles will help strengthen the competitive position of the U.S. space launch industry in the global marketplace."

ATK will fabricate the Atlas V structures at its Utah Composites Center facility in Clearfield, Utah, and its Southern Composites Center facility in Iuka, Miss. The structures include Centaur interstage adapters (CISAs), heat shields, and boattails. The first heat shield qualification unit was completed in June 2000. The CISA and Boattail qualification units are scheduled for shipment this month.

Headquartered in Magna, Utah, ATK Aerospace Composite Structures Company is part of ATK's Aerospace segment, which comprises the corporation's propulsion and composite structures operations. The Aerospace segment employs approximately 2,300 people in California, Florida, Mississippi, New York, Utah, and West Virginia. Sales in fiscal year 2000 were $530 million.

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 6,400 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 Techsystems

Contact: Media, Rod Bitz, 612-931-5413, rod_bitz@atk.com, or Investors,
Steve Wold, 612-931-6747, steve_wold@atk.com, both of Alliant Techsystems