TRW Wins Down-Select for Army Liquid Booster Program

One of Two Companies to Compete for Final Award

TRW is one of
two companies selected on Monday by the U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense
Command, Huntsville, Ala., for Phase II of the Liquid Booster Development
Program.
The Liquid Booster program will ultimately produce a target booster
that will enhance testing of current and future U.S. defensive systems.

TRW’s Phase II award is for $24 million, which includes a $4,690,361
option.
When completed, one company will be selected to complete development
and testing and enter into a production contract potentially worth $100
million over six years.

“Winning this program is very important to TRW as we aggressively pursue
the target vehicle market and build on our existing work in this area,” said
Dr. Donald C. Winter, president and CEO, TRW Systems.
“This new target
program will replace solid rocket motors with liquid propellant boosters to
provide a more environmentally friendly and safer system.”

TRW’s San Bernardino, Calif., operation will manage this effort and its
engineers and scientists will design and develop the liquid booster; TRW’s
Redondo Beach, Calif., operation will design the engine and build and test the
rocket on the ground; and TRW’s Aurora, Ohio, unit will build actuators for
the booster.

Existing missile defense targets use retired ICBM solid rocket motors.
The Liquid Booster program replaces highly toxic propellants with hydrogen
peroxide and kerosene.
These propellants produce a clean exhaust, enhance
personnel safety, and reduce operational costs.

Although intended for theater missile defense, the booster’s design
principles have been intentionally selected so that the booster could grow to
support national missile defense programs as well.

TRW’s Target Launch Experience

For the past 20 years, TRW has been providing technical assistance and
systems engineering support to major DoD programs, including various test
programs associated with national and theater missile defense.
TRW’s primary
booster role is to ensure the continued reliability of excess Minuteman II
motors through a comprehensive aging surveillance program.
TRW has supported
all eight launches to date for the Ground-based Mid-course Defense System and
provided the rocket motors for the test interceptors.

TRW provides advanced-technology products and services for the aerospace,
information systems and automotive markets.
The company, which is celebrating
its 100th year of operation during 2001, had year-end 2000 sales of $17.2
billion.
For more information, visit http://www.trw.com.