MICHIGAN AEROSPACE AWARDED $810K CONTRACT BY NAVY TO DEVELOP SYSTEM FOR LAUNCH and RECOVERY OF UNMANNED WATERCRAFT

Michigan Aerospace Corporation (MAC), an advanced engineering services and products company, today announced that its Mechanical Systems Business Unit has received an $810K, one-year contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center in West Bethesda, Maryland. The goals of this contract are to design, test and transition to production a reliable and cost-effective unmanned watercraft launch and recovery system for potential use on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. The system will apply to both Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). At-sea testing of the system is planned for 2006. The launch and recovery technology will be evaluated for other surface and underwater applications and follow-on activities may include development of sensor technology to guide the launch and recovery process. Michigan Aerospace Corporation specializes in mechanical systems that operate in harsh environments, from spacecraft to underwater platforms. Increased sales in this area led to expansion of the Mechanical Systems Business Unit, which is managed by Mr. Anthony Hays. Michigan Aerospace Corporation has also recently expanded its facilities to accommodate growth in all its business areas. A new high bay will provide capacity to meet increased demands for fabrication, testing and manufacturing.