Cubic Training and Education Division Receives New Option for U.S. Army 360 Leader Assessment; Program Expands to Include Assessing Civilians Working for Army.

SAN DIEGO -- The U.S. Army's Center for Army Leadership at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, has awarded the defense segment of Cubic Corporation (AMEX:CUB) a one-year option for $2.5 million to expand a program for 360-degree leader assessment and executive coaching of U.S. Army general officers, commanders, staff and non-commissioned officers.

The program will expand to include developing 360 leader assessment instruments for civilians working for the Department of the Army, and for newly selected battalion and brigade commanders enrolled in the Army's Pre-command Course.

"The success of the pilot program has been acknowledged by operational commanders and staffs across the Army," said John Lewis, director of Education and Leader Development for Cubic's Training and Education Division in Leavenworth.

Lewis said the Cubic team performed all pilot program requirements on time and within budget. This success was achieved by completing over 6,000 leader surveys and conducting 430 one-on-one leader coaching sessions at combat unit locations.

"The ease of use and its direct application to improve on-the-job performance was highlighted as a plus by the unit commanders," Lewis said. "Unit leaders recognized this was an effective way to complete a leadership systems check, and to see trends of an organization's strengths and weaknesses from a leader perspective."

During the option year, the Cubic 360 Leader Assessment Team will develop unique and tailored 360 leader assessment instruments for entry-level, mid-level and senior-level civilian managers who work for the Department of the Army.

"This civilian application offers the potential to expand the use of 360 leader assessments not only for use within the U.S. military, but within the corporate sector as well," said Stan Cherrie, vice president and general manager of the Training and Education Division. "Cubic's approach is to deliver a 360 leader assessment system that is tailored to defined leader competencies, skills and leader behaviors unique to the organization's culture, and that has direct application to support leader training and education. The coaches are certified in how to provide direct feedback to each leader to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and more important, how to improve themselves through an Individual Development Plan."

The option year of this requirement will nearly increase the number of 360 Leader Assessments that Cubic will perform for the Army to more than 9,500. In addition to the civilian Army employees, the assessments will cover five Brigade Combat Teams, four Units of Action, and Division-level commanders and staff participating in two Battle Command Training Program exercises.

Cubic's Training and Education Division is part of the Mission Support Business Unit of Cubic Defense Applications (CDA), one of Cubic's two major segments. CDA is a world leader in realistic combat training systems, mission support services and defense electronics. The corporation's other major segment, Cubic Transportation Systems, designs and manufactures automatic fare collection systems for public mass transit authorities. For more information about Cubic, see the company's website at www.cubic.com.