NOC Northrop Grumman Corp Holding Co

Northrop Grumman Awards LaBarge Additional $5.4 Million in Contracts for MESA Airborne Radar Subsystems ST. LOUIS, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LaBarge, Inc. (AMEX:LB) has been awarded contracts valued at approximately $5.4 million by Northrop Grumman Corp.'s (NYSE:NOC) Electronic Systems sector to supply electronic subsystems for its MESA (Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array) radar system. LaBarge will manufacture antenna switch phase shifter (ASPS) units for the system. The Company also provides several other subsystems and electronic components for the MESA system. The MESA radar is a military advanced airborne surveillance radar system with an all-new, multi-mode design that enables the radar to simultaneously track air and sea targets while continuously scanning the operational area. The ASPS units being manufactured by LaBarge provide the critical switching function that allows the system to combine radar and Identity-Friend-or-Foe (IFF) modes into the same arrays. The ability to use the same arrays reduces complexity and weight, improving supportability and reducing cost from dedicated emitter radar/IFF systems. The work LaBarge is doing under this latest contract award supports the deployment of the MESA radar in the Australian Defence Force's Project Wedgetail and Turkey's "Peace Eagle" 737 AEW&C program. LaBarge is performing the work at its Huntsville, Ark., location. Production is expected to continue through July 2005. LaBarge is a Northrop Grumman Preferred Supplier and has been a member of Northrop Grumman's MESA production team since 2002. Based in Baltimore, Md., Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector is a world leading provider of airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures, precision weapons, airspace management systems, space systems, marine and naval systems, communication systems, government systems and logistics services. LaBarge, Inc. is a broad-based provider of electronics to technology- driven companies in diverse markets. The Company provides its customers with sophisticated electronic products through contract design and manufacturing services. Headquartered in St. Louis, LaBarge has operations in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. The Company's Web site may be accessed at http://www.labarge.com/ . Statements contained in this release relating to LaBarge, Inc. that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Matters subject to forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including economic, competitive and other factors that may cause LaBarge or its industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance and achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause LaBarge's actual results to differ materially from those projected in, or inferred by, forward-looking statements are (but are not necessarily limited to) the following: the impact of increasing competition or deterioration of economic conditions in LaBarge's markets; cutbacks in defense spending by the U.S. Government; loss of one or more large customers; LaBarge's ability to replace completed and expired contracts on a timely basis; the Company's ability to integrate recently acquired businesses; the outcome of litigation the Company may be party to; increases in the cost of raw materials, labor and other resources necessary to operate LaBarge's business; the availability, amount, type and cost of financing for LaBarge and any changes to that financing; and other factors summarized in our reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by law, LaBarge disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or to publicly announce any revisions thereto to reflect future events or developments. DATASOURCE: LaBarge, Inc. CONTACT: Colleen Clements of LaBarge, Inc., +1-314-997-0800, ext. 409, Web site: http://www.labarge.com/

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