U.S. Marine Corps Awards TRW Next Phase of JSLNBCRS Contract.

Business Editors

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2001

Exercising an option in the continuing development of the Joint Service Light Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance System (JSLNBCRS), the U.S. Marine Corps has awarded TRW (NYSE:TRW) contract modifications totaling more than $21 million for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the program.

This brings the total cumulative value of the contract to approximately $34 million, the largest program TRW has undertaken for the Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., to date.

"The JSLNBCRS is being developed to detect, identify, mark, and report NBC hazards and toxic industrial chemicals on the integrated battlefield," said Otto Guenther, vice president and general manager of TRW Tactical Systems. "The system represents a seamless integration of sensors and C4I capabilities to enhance the survivability of U.S. forces in the event of NBC attack," added Guenther, "and potentially for those units that must respond to the very real threat of terrorist attacks with NBC agents in the U.S. and abroad."

Building on success of the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) variants delivered during the program's development risk reduction phase, TRW will refurbish the HMMWV variants and then design and fabricate Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) variants for further developmental testing. Both platform variants will then undergo operational testing in the July-October 2003 timeframe, prior to a production decision and fielding in 2004. Seven HMMWV and two LAV pre-production variants will be tested. Current fielding is estimated at more than 500 HMMWV and 30 LAV variants.

The HMMWV and LAV platforms, which provide crews with a protected, comfortable environment across temperature extremes of expected operations -- ranging from -25 degrees F to +120 degrees F -- have the most modern nuclear, biological and chemical sensors, integrated with analysis tools, in a computer data processing unit connected to command and control systems.

Work on this 30-month contract will be performed in Fair Lakes, Va., Sierra Vista, Ariz., and Carson, Calif. TRW will be adding 10-15 engineering and technical integration staff members to augment the current staff at the latter two locations. Additionally, facility upgrades in Sierra Vista, Ariz., will allow eventual integration of both HMMWVs and LAVs to proceed simultaneously.

TRW Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, provides advanced technology products and services to the aerospace, information technology, telecommunications, and automotive markets worldwide. TRW, which is celebrating its 100th year of operations in 2001, had year-end sales of $17.2 billion. For more information, visit www.trw.com.