Boeing Awards Harris Corporation Wideband Gapfiller Satellite Contract.

Business Editors

MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2001

Harris Corporation was recently awarded a military satellite communications support contract by Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., El Segundo, California, for engineering and technical support work on the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) program. WGS is a high-capacity satellite system, jointly funded by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, to support the warfighter with newer and far greater communications capabilities than provided by current systems. Harris has been awarded $300,000 to begin initial work on the project which has a potential value to $7 million over the next 60 months. The value of this contract will continue to increase as the U.S. Government exercises options for up to as many as six satellites with their associated control equipment and operational support requirements.

The WGS program will augment DoD communications services currently provided by the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS), which provides Super High Frequency (SHF) wideband communications, and the Global Broadcast Service (GBS), which uses direct broadcast satellite technology to provide critical information to U.S. military and Allied forces. With an initial launch in early 2004, WGS will serve as a bridge to the Advanced Wideband Satellite system, a high-capacity tactical communications system currently planned for 2008.

Harris Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD) will provide Boeing with technical and logistics support focused on ensuring that next-generation communications payloads on the WGS satellites are compatible with existing ground terminals. Harris GCSD engineers and technicians will package and install Boeing-provided satellite payload transponder equipment into the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command's (CECOM) SATCOM Engineering Laboratories, Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, for testing transponder and ground terminal compatibility.

"Harris is honored to be a member of the winning Boeing WGS team, and pleased about securing such strategically important SATCOM business for the company," said Bob Henry, president, Harris GCSD. "We are very proud of both our quality delivery record with Boeing -- as one of only a dozen Gold Level Preferred Supplier Certified (PSC) suppliers -- and our worldwide leadership in multi-band SATCOM. We will combine the best of our quality programs with the latest in SATCOM expertise to help Boeing ensure that WGS delivers uncompromisable communications capability to the warfighter."

Harris GCSD conducts advanced research studies, develops prototypes, and produces state-of-the-art airborne, spaceborne, and terrestrial communications and information processing systems for military and government agencies, their prime contractors, and the company's commercial businesses, as well as to select commercial organizations worldwide.

Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) is an international communications equipment company focused on providing product, system and service solutions that take its customers to the next level. The company provides a wide range of products and services for wireless, broadcast, network support, and government markets. The company has sales and service facilities in nearly 90 countries. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.