TRW Participates in First U.S. Air Force Launch from Kodiak, Alaska.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1998--TRW (NYSE:TRW), long-time provider of system engineering and technical assistance to the U.S. Air Force, continued its mission-critical assistance to the Rocket Systems Launch Program in ensuring the successful launch yesterday evening of a two-stage test rocket from Kodiak Island, off the southern coast of Alaska.

The launch was the first from the Kodiak Spaceport launch complex developed by the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation for military and commercial launches. Early warning radars along the coast tracked the launch that simulated an incoming missile attack to the United States.

"Kodiak was chosen for this ballistic missile defense test as a result of an initial study we performed for the Air Force in 1997," said Joe Mason, vice president and general manager, TRW Strategic Systems, San Bernardino. "Launches from Kodiak provide the opportunity to evaluate existing missile defense radar systems against threat-like missile trajectories."

The launch of the two-stage rocket, built from a deactivated Minuteman II ICBM, marked the first time the U.S. has been able to track a test rocket from this trajectory. TRW provided engineering support, range documentation, and booster processing and integration information for this radar-tracking test.

TRW supported the Air Force in the integration and coordination of the multiple agencies involved in this Atmospheric Interceptor Technology program, including other parts of the Air Force, Coast Guard, Alaska National Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Navy. From its San Bernardino site, TRW engineers provided analyses of range safety hazards, independent linear and nonlinear controls, independent loads, aerodynamic coefficients and thermal analyses, as well as on-site support for system level and software testing.

Engineers from TRW's Albuquerque site participated in the initial rocket systems launch study in 1996 and subsequently led the environmental impact study required before the new Kodiak launch complex could be built. TRW reviewed the new spaceport to ensure it met the Air Force's requirements to launch reconfigured intercontinental ballistic missiles into suborbital and orbital missions from this site.

TRW Inc. provides advanced technology products and services for the automotive, space and defense, and information technology markets worldwide. The company's sales in 1997 were approximately $12 billion (including the BDM acquisition). The company's news releases are available through TRW's corporate web site (http://www.trw.com/).

Note to editors: Opportunities for interviews available.

Additional Contact Information: U.S. Air Force Public Affairs Office, Ronea Alger, 907/273-1544 Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, Todd Bulot, 907/276-6353