ATK Announces Contracts to Supply
Composite Structures and Tooling
for the Airbus A350 XWB Commercial Airliner
Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced that Airbus SAS and its partners
Aerolia SA, Premium Aerotec GmbH and Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. have selected the
company to produce composite structures and tooling for its next-generation A350
XWB (Xtra Wide Body) aircraft. Total expected revenues for ATK amount to
approximately $1B. Combined with the previous announcement for A350 XWB
composite engine components, this new selection makes the aircraft the largest
commercial program in ATK's history.
The company will produce the composite components
at its composite manufacturing center of excellence in Iuka, Mississippi. At
peak production, ATK could produce up to 25 miles of A350 XWB composite
components per month.
ATK's proprietary automated stiffener forming
machines (ASFM) will be instrumental in the development and manufacture of
low-cost composite stringers and frames in a wide variety of shapes that will be
required throughout the composite fuselage structure. The company's patented
ASFM process allows ATK to produce extremely high quality composite components
with the greatest flexibility in design and unmatched repeatability. ATK's
proprietary production processes reduce manufacturing time by 90 percent over
traditional hand lay-up methods, while its advanced ultrasonic inspection
process ensures unmatched quality and rapid delivery.
"The A350 XWB program builds on ATK's decades of
composite production experience in military aircraft and launch vehicle
programs," said John Shroyer, interim CEO. "This production program showcases
the unique capabilities of ATK's composite manufacturing expertise and provides
ATK a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enter on the ground floor of a
revolution in the way commercial airliners will be produced in the decades to
come."
ATK is a premier aerospace and defense company
with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally,
and revenues in excess of $4.8 billion. News and information can be found on the
Internet at 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: the challenges and assumptions related to
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.
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