Acterna Selected by EDO Corporation to Support U.S. Marine Corps' JECCS Program; FIREBERD 8000, FST-2310 and HST-3000 will Perform Critical Test Functions to Promote Reliability and Accuracy in Tactical Communications Environment.

GERMANTOWN, Md. -- Acterna, the leader in test and management solutions for consumer and business broadband communications, today announced that its Federal Division has been selected to support the U.S. Marine Corps' Joint Enhanced Core Communications System (JECCS). Acterna's FIREBERD 8000, FST-2310 and HST-3000 were purchased by EDO Corporation, the prime contractor on the JECCS program. With these industry-leading tactical communications testing solutions, the U.S. Marine Corps will help ensure reliability and accuracy when providing its forces with advanced network connectivity.

"Acterna has enjoyed more than 20 years with the U.S. Marines, providing the test and management solutions that support rapid deployments, accurate delivery and reliable service quality as field communications become more advanced," said Jim Coulter, director of Acterna's Federal Division. "Our work with EDO to support the JECCS will bolster the reliability and efficiency of advanced communications and the exchange of information in the tactical environment."

JECCS is a multi-functional communication system integrated on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The system was launched to provide several services, including secure and non-secure voice, data, local-area-network and network management, messaging, and satellite capabilities to a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). JECCS will help enable a faster and more reliable information exchange capability that is critical to support troops in a tactical environment.

Acterna's test and management solutions will help ensure the U.S. Marine Corps communications systems are turned up and installed right the first time. By analyzing signals for accuracy, locating fault areas and performing quick BER testing, Acterna's FIREBERD 8000, FST-2310 and HST-3000 will perform comprehensive test measurements for the U.S. Marine Corps' serial data circuits, ISDN BRI/PRI circuits, T1/T3 circuits, as well as OC3 SONET circuits deployed as a part of JECCS.

About Acterna's TESTPAD Family of Testers - FIREBERD 8000 and FST-2310

To meet the evolving needs of customers like the U.S. government (particularly tech control groups, tactical communications units and large integrators), Acterna introduced the FIREBERD 8000 to enable efficient and thorough installation and maintenance of serial datacom circuits that provide both secure and non-secure voice and data. Since its inception, more than 30,000 FIREBERD 1500As, 2000s and 6000s have been deployed.

The FIREBERD 8000, the newest platform, operates on the Acterna 2000 TestPad, the industry's first handheld, battery-operated integrated test set, and is widely used by service providers and equipment manufacturers for provisioning and maintaining voice and data networks. There are more than 20,000 TestPad testers currently in use throughout the world. The FB-8000 provides test functionality for a wide variety of technologies, including RS-232/V.24, EIA-530, V.35/306, RS-449/V.36, X.21, MIL-188C, MIL-188-114, and conditioned diphase (CDI). Supported applications of the FB-8000 include verifying end-to-end circuit continuity and throughput, emulating datacom network elements (DTE/DCE) and verifying Quality of Service (QoS).

The FST-2310 also operates on the TestPad platform. With over 12,000 units deployed in the field, the FST-2310 is the single most deployed handheld SONET tester in the industry.

About the Acterna HST-3000

The Acterna HST-3000 is a modular, hand-held test tool that scales to address a broad spectrum of different access network technology testing needs, from the physical layer to the application layer. It was the first hand-held field test tool to provide basic turn-up and troubleshooting of VoIP deployment, supporting physical layer analysis through packet metrics, signaling analysis and voice quality determination. HST-3000 capabilities allow packet capture of live VoIP calls, including VoIP call storage and an integrated FTP capability to send captured VoIP calls to be analyzed by Acterna's PVA-1000 software. The HST was created to improve efficiency and lower the costs of installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting business and residential services and networks. The HST-3000 combines copper, voice and data service testing features with process automation capabilities in a lightweight, battery-operated unit.

By adding ADSL2+ and IP Video test options, the HST-3000 breaks new ground in test support for triple-play service deployments and extends its capabilities for installation and maintenance crews who will be responsible for turn-up and troubleshooting these new services. The Acterna HST-3000 VoIP Tester was named Product of the Year for 2002 by INTERNET TELEPHONY(R) magazine.

About EDO Corporation

EDO Corporation provides military products and professional services to the United States and allied governments, and their prime defense contractors. EDO focuses on systems and subsystems that are integral to the success of long-term military platforms, such as the B-1B bomber, the F/A-22, the Joint Strike Fighter, and the Los Angeles and Virginia-class submarines. The company also has a number of commercial product lines.

About Acterna

Acterna is the world's largest provider of communications test solutions for telecommunications and cable network operators. A trusted communications test partner for more than eight decades, Acterna offers an unmatched portfolio of award-winning instruments, systems, software and services that help its customers reduce network costs while improving performance and reliability. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, USA - with European and Asia-Pacific operations based in Eningen, Germany and Hong Kong - Acterna serves nearly every major communications service provider and equipment manufacturer around the world through a skilled sales and support organization in 31 countries.

All Acterna company or product names mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of Acterna Inc. or one of its subsidiary companies.