BELLEVUE, Wash., March 31, 2003--Esterline (NYSE/ESL www.esterline.com) today announced that it has secured a $103 million dollar contract—the largest in company history—from the U.S. Army to manufacture and deliver state-of-the-art 155mm Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS) Combustible Cases over the next five years. In addition to the base amount, the Army could exercise options bringing the total award to $270 million. As anticipated, the first year of the contract is fully-funded at $28 million; production will begin immediately at Esterline’s Armtec Defense Products subsidiary in Coachella, Calif.

Robert W. Cremin, Esterline’s CEO, said, “…our Armtec unit is the original developer and world’s leading manufacturer of combustible cases which act as rigid propellant containers and also ignite when fired improving ammunition performance.”

 

The contract represents Esterline’s first multi-year award for MACS, which is an advanced technology developed in conjunction with the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal to replace older design bag charges. These charges are no longer manufactured. MACS provides extended range, safer and more reliable performance, up to a 40% logistics cost savings over bag charges, and is autoloader compatible — allowing greater rates of fire. The system is compatible with all currently fielded 155mm howitzers, including the M198 towed howitzer and the Paladin self-propelled howitzer. 

 

Esterline is a leading specialty manufacturer of highly engineered products serving aerospace and defense markets.