Functional tech demonstrator unit to be displayed at the 2010 AUSA Winter Conference

EVERETT, Wash., February 5, 2010 — Esterline's Control Systems Division, a leading aerospace and defense integrator, today announced the rollout of the first modular dashboard for tactical vehicles and other military applications: the Mission Adaptable Crew Station (MACS).

Esterline, in conjunction with industry team members and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC), has integrated a demonstrator of the MACS for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) A2 model, to be displayed for the first time at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA; www.ausa.org) Winter Symposium and Exposition, February 24-26, 2010, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This installation features interchangeable modules for the driver and commander, including hot-swapping capability.

"MACS implements the vision of modularity and rapid reconfiguration while reducing the risk and cost associated with crew-station electronics," said Ryan Mitchell, project manager at Esterline Control Systems, which is integrating the system. "Our solution shifts the focus of modularity from the component and subsystem to the users and the needs of their role in the vehicle."

According to Mitchell, the principal objectives of MACS are to:

• Create a modular vehicle crew station with open architecture for immediate installation and replacement without proprietary restrictions.
   
• Support rapid reconfiguration and maintenance of crew-station technology, without need for specialized tools or maintenance support.
   
• Reduce the size, weight, and power (SWaP) impact of hardware that is not mission critical.
   
• Shrink the logistics footprint.
   
• Lower barriers to integrating new technologies over the life of the vehicle.

"Since our approach seeks to remove proprietary barriers," explains Mitchell, "our team of companies remains flexible and adaptable, willing to bring in new participants and technologies to target the needs of specific vehicles and missions. The HEMMT application is only the first step for us."

For more information about MACS and its rollout at the 2010 AUSA winter conference, visit www.esterline.com/controlsystems/MACS.

About Esterline
Esterline Corporation (NYSE: ESL; www.esterline.com) is a leading world-wide supplier to the aerospace and defense industry. Esterline Control Systems develops human-machine interface solutions for integration into crew stations and flight decks, featuring AVISTA software engineering services and BVR, JANCO, KORRY, and MASON control products.