Harris Corporation Awarded $12.5 Million in Avionics Contracts Supporting U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Business Editors/Aviation Writers

MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2001

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), a world leader in high-capacity avionics networks and digital moving maps for military aircraft, today announced that it has been awarded several contracts totaling $12.5 million for advanced avionics work supporting the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The new avionics will provide smaller, lighter, faster, higher-capacity, fiber-optic networking equipment on board the F/A-18E/F and enhance the situational awareness capability of its flight crews. Contract options and follow-on business could increase the overall value of the three programs to $46 million over the next 10 years.

"These new Super Hornet avionics programs are absolutely core business for Harris," said Bob Henry, president, Harris Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD). "Harris leads the world in the development of high-capacity, avionics networking systems and digital moving maps for a wide variety of military fixed- and rotor-winged aircraft. These new systems further enhance our leadership in high-end avionics as well as position Harris for future military aircraft upgrades and new starts such as the Joint Strike Fighter."

Specific contracts related to Harris' recent wins on the Super Hornet include the following: The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Missouri, awarded Harris a $10.5 million contract to develop the Fibre Channel Network Switch (FCNS) for the U.S. Navy fleet of F/A-18E/F aircraft. Fibre Channel replaces and augments the older and much slower serial multiplex busses. Each aircraft requires two redundant FCNS units, which provide a total of 16 independent input and output channels. Each channel provides a 1 Gigabaud serial network link to other Fibre Channel-equipped avionics systems networked to the aircraft's mission computer.

Boeing also awarded Harris a $470,000 contract to embed a Navy-developed early Terrain Awareness Warning System (eTAWS) into the existing Tactical Airborne Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC) Digital Map Computer (DMC). TAMMAC DMC, the standard digital map computer for all Navy and Marine Corps aircraft upgrades, was initially delivered to Boeing in September 1998 under a separate contract. The eTAWS enhancement will provide Super Hornet pilots with an advanced terrain awareness and avoidance system integrated with the real-time-in-the-cockpit digital map display provided by TAMMAC DMC.

"Adding the proven Navy eTAWS function into the Harris TAMMAC Digital Map Computer significantly enhances the F/A-18E/F's capability to warn its flight crew of impending ground collisions while providing a real-time visual display of the battlespace," said Henry. "This technology enhancement is not only a significant leap in tactical aircraft warning systems, but most importantly, a great resource for saving lives and aircraft."

Raytheon Systems Company, El Segundo, California, awarded Harris a $1.6 million contract to develop the Fibre Channel Network Interface Controllers (NIC) used for the aircraft's Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Each NIC provides a 1 Gigabaud serial network link to other AESA radar systems.

Raytheon's AESA radar will increase the aircraft's air-to-air target detection range and tracking range; add higher resolution air-to-ground mapping modes at longer ranges, enabling the aircraft to take full advantage of current and planned weapons; improve situational awareness in the cockpit; and significantly lower operating and support costs.

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the U.S. military's newest strike fighter, entered into service with Navy squadron VFA-122 in November 1999. The Navy has ordered 62 Super Hornets and plans to buy a minimum of 548 of the aircraft through 2010. The first Super Hornet fleet deployment is scheduled for the spring of 2002.

The Super Hornet is the newest version of the combat-proven F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft is 25 percent larger than its predecessor but has 42 percent fewer parts. Both the single-seat E and two-seat F models offer increased range, greater endurance, more payload-carrying ability, more powerful engines, increased carrier bringback capability, enhanced survivability and a renewed potential for future growth.

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 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. Harris has sales and service facilities in more than 90 countries. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.