DRS Technologies Awarded $2 Million Contract to Supply Recording Systems for U.S. Navy Fighter Aircraft.

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 1997--DRS Technologies Inc. (ASE: DRS) announced today that its DRS Precision Echo Inc. subsidiary, located in Santa Clara, California, has received a contract award valued at approximately $2 million from the Naval Air Systems Command to provide additional WRR-818 Cockpit Video Recording Systems for installation on U.S. Navy F/A-18C/D and the new F/A-18E/F strike fighter jet aircraft.

This award is the result of the exercise of an option by the Navy on an existing, multiple-year contract, which was competitively awarded to DRS in December 1994. To date, approximately $9 million has been released on this program, including this latest award.

Mark S. Newman, chairman, president and chief executive officer of DRS Technologies, said, "The receipt of this additional option on the WRR-818 Cockpit Video Recording Systems contract reflects the U.S. Navy's confidence in our systems and the company's strong, long-term performance on this program. We are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to supply these critical systems, which are superior in quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness, and to continue to contribute to the mission effectiveness of the Navy's highly capable F/A-18 Hornet aircraft."

The WRR-818 Cockpit Video Recording Systems incorporate the latest commercial technology in a line of Hi-8 and 8mm video recorder products developed by DRS for domestic and international aviation markets. These systems provide high-resolution imagery and audio recording of sensor and tactical data during the combat missions of the F/A-18 aircraft and other applications requiring compact, lightweight, low-powered video recording equipment. The systems are designed specifically to operate in the harsh sea environments to which carrier-based aircraft are exposed.

The Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)-based design of these systems has yielded cost savings for DRS's customers over products developed using traditional military specifications, while still meeting and often exceeding critical performance, reliability and long-term supportability requirements. DRS Technologies, a leading supplier of COTS equipment, to date has delivered more than 1,200 of these recorders for installation on the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 aircraft, the U.S. Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force National Guard and Air Force Reserves' A/OA-10A Thunderbolt aircraft. Internationally, DRS provides similar recording systems for Canada's Light Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle.

DRS Technologies is a diversified, high-technology company serving government and commercial niche markets worldwide. The company develops and manufactures a variety of leading edge systems and components used for the processing, display and storage of data. DRS provides its customers with a broad range of products, including electronic sensor, electronic imaging and electro-optical systems, and offers a full complement of technical support services. The company's defense electronics products serve all branches of the armed forces. Its commercial and industrial products are used mainly by the airline, banking, computer disk drive, security, transportation, retail sales and broadcast industries.