Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atk-receives-5-million-award-for-us-armys-accelerated-precision-mortar-initiative-apmi-78125472.html

ATK Receives $5 Million Award for U.S. Army's Accelerated Precision
Mortar Initiative (APMI)

ATK's Innovative Mortar Guidance Kit (MGK) Demonstrated Accuracy and
Reliability During Recent Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (CRADA) Flight Testing

Three Month Engineering Design and Technology Demonstration Program
Based From ATK's Plymouth, Minnesota Facility

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 30 [2009] /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant
Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $5 million contract from the
U.S. Army for the first phase of the Army's Accelerated Precision
Mortar Initiative (APMI). ATK is one of three companies selected for
the first phase of the competition. Phase one consists of a three
month design, maturation and demonstration program aimed at developing
a precision mortar capability. The first phase concludes with flight
tests and a competitive "shoot off" amongst industry designs.

Prior to winning the award, ATK successfully concluded a Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) flight test program of its
Mortar Guidance Kit (MGK) design. ATK's MGK design demonstrated its
ability to accurately and reliably guide a 120mm mortar to within 10
meters of targets at ranges in excess of 6,500 meters.

"Our MGK design leverages our proven Precision Guidance Kit (PGK)
technology and production facilities already in place for 155mm
artillery to quickly deliver an affordable, low risk, precision 120mm
mortar capability to the field," said Jack Cronin, President, ATK
Mission Systems. "Most importantly, the recent CRADA tests
demonstrated that our MGK technology is mature enough to meet our
warfighter's urgent operational needs."

ATK's MGK converts M934 mortar bodies into affordable, precision
mortar rounds by adding GPS guidance and navigation capability in a
package that replaces standard fuzes in the mortar's fuze well. Based
on ATK's PGK for 155mm artillery, MGK has more than 90 percent
commonality with PGK. The manufacturing of MGK can be accomplished
using the ATK PGK production line, providing a rapid low-risk path to
fielding.

The U.S. Army is sponsoring APMI to meet operational needs for a
precision, 120mm mortar capability for reliable and lethal response to
enemy engagements - especially in mountainous terrain inaccessible to
artillery. A precision guided mortar provides field commanders with
indirect fire capability to successfully engage targets while
mitigating collateral damage. Additionally, greater accuracy reduces
the number of rounds required to successfully defeat targets while
reducing in-theater logistical requirements.