EDO Receives Norwegian Contract for 'Malts' Practice Bomb Carriers

EDO Corporation (NYSE: EDO) has been awarded a $1.5 million contract for practice-bomb carriers by the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation. Under the terms of the contract, EDO will deliver 50 of its new-generation "MALTS” two-station carriers this year for use on Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s. The contract also includes test equipment, training, spares and documentation. The MALTS (Modular Advanced Lightweight Training System) family of two, four, and six station carriers provides practice-bombing capability on any tactical aircraft. MALTS employs easily maintained electro-magnetic release units that eliminate maintenance and overall life cycle costs. This contract further builds on sales to two other European Air Force customers and a Far-East aircraft manufacturer. "EDO is the industry leader in sophisticated aircraft-armament interface, carriage and release systems,” said CEO James M. Smith. "For decades, we have provided such equipment for the world’s dominant jet fighters, including the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, Tornado, Harrier and Typhoon. We are also developing launching systems for aircraft of the future, such as the F-35 Lightning II and the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft.” Additional Background MALTS is a new version of EDO’s high-performance practice-bomb training systems which do not employ pyrotechnic cartridges. Operators benefit from a true swing-role training capability (the ability to freely switch from one training regime to another), minimal logistic footprint (no consumables, annual servicing only) and consequentially reduced inventory holding. MALTS is a universal fit to any platform and its low life-cycle cost has been verified competitively by several users and platform primes. EDO Corporation designs and manufactures a diverse range of products for aerospace, defense, intelligence, and commercial markets. Major product groups include: Professional and Engineering Services, Defense Electronics, Communications, Aircraft Armament Systems, Undersea Warfare, and Integrated Composite Structures. EDO’s advanced systems are at the core of the transformation to lighter, faster, and smarter defense capabilities. With headquarters in New York, EDO Corporation (www.edocorp.com) employs 4,000 people worldwide. The company was founded in 1925 and had revenues of $715 million in 2006.