NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL), prime contractor for the U.S. Army and Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) program, announced today that it has presented the first C-27J JCA to the joint program office on schedule and on budget. The aircraft is the first of 78 planned to be delivered to the Department of Defense. The current contract is valued in excess of $2 billion.

"We are very proud to have achieved this critical milestone in meeting our commitment to our customer," said Michael T. Strianese, president and chief executive officer of L-3. "With Alenia, we have consistently performed well throughout all phases of the JCA program, and we look forward to continuing to lead this successful effort."

"L-3, Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia North America have worked very hard to ensure that we present the C-27J on time to the U.S. Army," said Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica, parent company to aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica. "This event demonstrates our group's capability and our strong commitment to the U.S. market."

A formal ceremony marking the first aircraft delivery will take place in October at L-3's facility in Waco, Texas.

The C-27J Spartan was selected in June 2007 as the Joint Cargo Aircraft. The first aircraft arrived at L-3's Waco facility Aug. 14 from Alenia Aeronautica's Caselle final assembly plant in Turin, Italy to receive unique modifications and testing. The second JCA is currently undergoing testing in Italy and will arrive in Waco in October to be delivered to the customer in November.

The C-27J is a mid-range, multifunctional and interoperable aircraft able to perform logistical re-supply, MEDEVAC, troop movement, airdrop operations, humanitarian assistance and homeland security missions for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The C-27J will replace the U.S. Army's C-23 Sherpa and portions of the US Army's C-12 and C-26 fleet. The C-27J will augment the U.S. Air Force's existing fleet of intra-theater airlifters. The aircraft will play a key role in providing responsive aerial sustainment and critical re-supply support for the maneuver force to maintain operational momentum.

The C-27J Spartan has been in production in Italy since 2001 and has been delivered to Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Lithuania. It has also been ordered by Romania with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2009. Orders to-date, follow-on contracts, as well as international, foreign military and variant sales, are expected to extend orders for the C-27J to more than 200 aircraft.

The C-27J Spartan is the latest in a successful tradition of military airlifters, including the C-27A Spartan and the G.222, which have been deployed by the United States, NATO, Coalition Forces, the United Nations and Italy in support of military and humanitarian operations in Albania, Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Congo, Operations Desert Shield and Storm, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kosovo, Libya, Mali, Panama, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen. C-27A Spartans are currently carrying out vital counter-drug activities for the United States in Central and South America.

About L-3

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 64,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company reported 2007 sales of $14 billion.

To learn more about L-3, please visit the company's Web site at www.L-3Com.com.

About Alenia North America

Alenia North America is a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica and part of the Finmeccanica Group. Its mission is to further expand the industrial and commercial presence of the Alenia Group in North America. Alenia North America Inc. is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Seattle, Washington; Long Beach, California; Fort Worth, Texas; and Smyrna, Georgia. Alenia North America - Canada, a subsidiary wholly owned by Alenia North America, has offices in Ottawa, Canada. Alenia North America is also a shareholder in several joint venture companies located in the United States. Global Aeronautica, a joint venture with The Boeing Company, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, performs significant integration and sub-assembly work for the Boeing 787 program. Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS), a joint venture with L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, is a center of excellence to support the C-27J in North America. GMAS is headquartered in Madison, Mississippi. Alenia North America has recently announced its intent to establish a new final assembly and production facility for the C-27J in Jacksonville, Florida. The C-27J is the world leader in the twin engine military tactical aircraft market with 121 units sold worldwide. The C-27J was selected by the U.S. Army and Air Force for the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) Program.

For more information about Alenia North America, please visit www.aleniana.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "will," "could" and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-looking Statements included in the company's recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Source: L-3 Communications