ATK and FNMI Team to Win Mk19 Grenade Machine Gun Contract

Released on Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Mk19 Expands ATK's Portfolio of Medium-Caliber Gun Systems to the Crew-Served Market

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) and FN Manufacturing, LLC (FNMI), have received a $53.4 million contract from the U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, to produce Mk19 Mod-3 Grenade Machine Guns (GMG). This will be the first crew-served weapon system manufactured by ATK, marking a significant milestone in the company's strategy to broaden its armament systems business. The contract also expands ATK's existing portfolio of medium-caliber gun systems beyond its battle-proven chain guns.

ATK and FNMI teamed to provide the U.S. Army a low-risk and best value systems solution for the Mk19 GMG program. ATK has assembled independent supply chains and manufacturing entities with dedicated capacity to meet program schedule and delivery requirements.

ATK will lead a proven and reliable industry team that combines world-class systems integration experience with small- and medium-caliber weapon manufacturing expertise of key subcontractors and suppliers. In addition to its role as systems integrator, ATK will perform barrel manufacture, gun assembly and test operations. FNMI will provide gun sub-assemblies. Work on the Mk19 will be performed by ATK at its facility in Mesa, Ariz.

ATK currently manufactures 25mm through 40mm variants of its Bushmaster cannons and more than eight million rounds of medium-caliber ammunition per year. The cannons are sold in more than 30 countries and are the primary gun on Bradley fighting vehicles and the Apache helicopter for the U.S. Army.