U.S. Army Takes Early Delivery of New Litton Night Vision Equipment.

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 1999--

Under its Omnibus V contract, the U.S. Army is taking early delivery of new and improved Generation III night vision goggles and tubes produced by the Electro-Optical Systems division of Litton Industries Inc. (NYSE:LIT).

Litton Electro-Optical Systems Division (LEOS), with a facility in Tempe, Ariz., and headquarters in Garland, Texas, delivered MX-11620 25-mm Generation III image intensifier tubes and AN/PVS-7D's in February 1999 -- two months ahead of schedule.

The MX-11620 night vision tubes are used to upgrade existing weapon sights and will substantially improve the performance of the AN/PVS-4 and AN/TVS-5 weapon sights under the Army's "Modernization Thru Spares" concept.

Under the contract, Litton will also manufacture and deliver the AN/PVS-14 night vision monocular and, if options are exercised, AN/AVS-6 Aviator's Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS).

The U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), Fort Monmouth, N.J., awarded Litton the multi-year tube and system Omnibus V contract in June 1998. The program is under the technical management of the Program Manager, Night Vision, Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition at Fort Belvoir, Va.

"We are committed to continuous process improvement at Litton -- specifically improving our delivery schedules and ever-increasing the performance of our products," said Steven A. Lambert, president of Litton Electro-Optical Systems division. "We want to provide CECOM with a vehicle to meet the ever-changing demands of its customer -- the soldier in the field."

With all options exercised, the Omnibus V contract could exceed $190 million over a three-year period.

Litton will also begin delivery of the latest in image intensifier technology under this program -- the "unfilmed" tube in the second program year. All current Generation III image intensifier tubes utilize a thin ion barrier film on the microchannel plate to extend the life of the tube to more than 10,000 hours.

Litton and the U.S. Army have cost-shared development of the unfilmed tube which significantly exceeds the performance of existing tubes while maintaining the Army's long life requirements.

Litton Electro-Optical Systems also produces other image intensified systems for the Navy, Marine Corps, Special Operations, and many international customers, in addition to producing infrared detectors used in thermal imaging systems and optical components, thin film optical coatings, and laser protection devices.

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.