ATK and ARDEC to Develop Advanced Ammunition and Gun System to Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Attacks

Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $4.6 million contract from the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny, New Jersey, to develop and demonstrate a next-generation ammunition and gun system for the Army's Extended Area Protection & Survivability (EAPS) program. EAPS technologies are being developed to counter incoming enemy rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) attacks against U.S. and allied troops.

During the 24-month development program, ATK and ARDEC will incorporate advanced technologies into a 50mm projectile that will be fired from a variant of ATK's battle-proven Bushmaster cannon line. The culmination of the development program will be live-fire tests where ATK and ARDEC demonstrate the ability to communicate with the round -- via a data uplink -- after it exits the barrel. In addition, the team will demonstrate a unique course-correction technology that increases the EAPS target defeat capability. Finally, ATK will demonstrate the effectiveness of the ARDEC warhead design to defeat incoming rockets, mortars and artillery shells.

"ATK is an industry leader in the development of force protection technologies for personnel, vehicles and facilities," said Dave Wise, Vice President and General Manager, ATK Advanced Weapons. "We have worked closely with ARDEC on a number of systems that are on the battlefield today, and we look forward to continuing that partnership as we create the technologies of tomorrow."

Work under the EAPS contract will be performed at ATK facilities in Plymouth, Minnesota and Mesa, Arizona.

ATK is a $3.5 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 15,500 people in 21 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com.

Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are: changes in governmental spending, budgetary policies and product sourcing strategies; the company's competitive environment; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; and economic conditions. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.