Litton Network Access Systems Expands Product Line of Tactical Fiber Optic Modems.

ROANOKE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 1999--Litton Network Access Systems, a division of Litton, has successfully added two new tactical fiber optic modems (FOM) to its current product line of modems for secure, reliable communications between Army mobile shelters.

New to the market are the DS3/E3 FOM, designed for tactical DS3/E3 digital connections, and the BFOM, built for EUROCOM D/1, interface B communications. These new FOMs are an outgrowth of the original FOM Litton Network Access Systems developed for the U.S. Army.

The original FOM, which operates at rates from 72 kbps to 18.72 Mbps, has been an integral part of the Army's change from coaxial to fiber optic cables. Through the use of fiber optics and the original FOM, the 5 trucks, 19 repeaters, and 3,000 pounds of coaxial cable required for an 8-kilometer connection is reduced to one truck, no repeaters, and 880 pounds of fiber optic cable. The success of the FOM comes from the reduction in weight and equipment, creating more rapid deployment and reduction in life-cycle equipment costs.

With the FOM's solid performance platform, Litton Network Access Systems (LNAS) has developed more FOM interfaces with increased distances to reach new domestic and overseas markets. The DS3/E3 FOM supports voice and data communications at distances up to 15 kilometers without repeaters and operates at rates of 44.736 Mbps (DS3) or 34.368 Mbps (E3). The BFOM, designed for the common European protocol EUROCOM D/1, interface B, accepts rates from 256 kbps to 2.048 Mbps and supports distances in excess of 15 kilometers without repeaters.

LNAS is under current contract to supply both the DS3 FOM and the BFOM products. The DS3 FOM, designed to accommodate voice and data communications, is currently supplied to GTE Government Systems in Taunton, MA for deployment in the Area Common User System or ACUS ATM program. The BFOM, also a tactical voice and data modem, will be supplied to the Egyptian Ministry of Defense.

Litton Network Access Systems is a premier supplier of tactical modems for military communications. Litton is a leader in worldwide technology markets for advanced electronic, defense, and information systems, and is a major designer and builder of surface combatant ships for the U.S. Navy and allied nations.

For more information, please contact the Litton Network Access Systems New Product Information Center at 540-777-3322. Also visit our web site at: http://www.netaccsys.com, or send e-mail to: [e-mail].

For more information about the DS3/E3 FOM, BFOM or Litton Network Access Systems, please contact Janie Osterhaus, Marketing Communications Manager, at 540-777-3256 or at [e-mail].