A Joint News Release from BAE Systems and Alenia Marconi Systems

A powerful team (Team 45) of the UK’s leading combat system suppliers, Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS) Integrated Systems Division and BAE Systems Combat and Radar Systems (CaRS) has been awarded a contract by the Type 45 Prime Contract Office for the design, development and delivery of Data Transfer Systems (DTS) for the Royal Navy's new AAWD (Anti Air Warfare Destroyer) Type 45 programme.

The Data Transfer System connects the elements of the Combat System - including the weapons and sensors - to form an integrated whole. The Team 45 technical solution is based on Fast Ethernet, which, combined with commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware and software, and running on a triple redundant architecture, provides robust high performance with minimum risk.

Type 45 is the Royal Navy's replacement for the Type 42 destroyer. BAE Systems is the Prime Contractor for the Type 45 programme which will see the first-of-class, HMS Daring, enter service in 2007. With a displacement of about 7 200 tons, a designed top speed of over 27 knots and a range greater than 5 000 nautical miles, its main purpose will be to provide the forces with local area air defence.

About Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS):

Alenia Marconi Systems is an equal shares joint venture between BAE Systems of the UK and Finmeccanica of Italy. The company is a major force in European defence and electronics with a turnover of over US$1.2Bn and an established international customer base in over 100 countries. The operating divisions in Italy and the UK have wide ranging capabilities in ground and naval radar, missile systems, air traffic management, command and control, simulation and synthetic environments, engineering, software design and manufacturing, all backed up by comprehensive customer support facilities. In October 1999 BAE Systems and Finmeccanica signed a Heads of Agreement to expand AMS to include BAE Systems activities in the surface based radar and land and naval systems fields. The missile systems division will move into Matra BAe Dynamics as agreed in the Heads of Agreement signed in October 1999 by BAE Systems, Finmeccanica and Aerospatiale Matra.

For further information on AMS, please visit www.aleniamarconisystems.com.

About BAE SYSTEMS:

BAE Systems is the truly global systems, defence and aerospace company. BAE Systems employs more than 120,000 people, in eight home markets around the world and has annual sales of some £12 billion. The company offers a global capability in air, sea, land and space with a world-class prime contracting ability supported by a range of key skills. BAE Systems designs and manufactures civil and military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, space systems, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, guided weapon systems and a range of other defence products.

With acknowledgements to BAE Systems and Alenia Marconi Systems.

* Not the Diacerto Data Bus from Thomson-CSF Detexis, which is based on classic Ethernet (not Fast Ethernet) an is a dual redundant and not triple redundant system - as stated by ADS's counsel during the Public Protector Hearings.

[note to RMY's legal team - not for the VPO - this is very useful for the Moynot and Kamerman defamation actions.]