Exelis and L-3 partner to help protect pilots from threats

CLIFTON, N.J., 14 May 2015. Exelis (NYSE:XLS) and L-3 Platform Integration are partnering to provide electronic self-protection capabilities for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) AC/MC-130J Commando II aircraft.

The team's combined experience in electronic warfare (EW) and platform integration will allow rapid development of an advanced yet low-risk solution to protect Air Force special operations aviators from the evolving radio frequency threats they face in their global missions, says a spokesperson.

Exelis is a provider of EW self-protection systems for large aircraft and a trusted supplier to U.S. Special Forces; L-3 Platform Integration is a C-130 systems integrator, with vast knowledge and experience working on the platform and integrating a wide variety of technologies, including EW systems, for a range of customers.

"Our two companies have worked together on EW technology programs for special-mission aircraft since the 1990s," says Mitch Friedman, vice president and general manager of the Exelis integrated electronic warfare systems business. "Our experience and shared history in this field will produce a system more than capable of addressing customer needs and enabling mission success in a changing EW environment."

"Our team offers cutting-edge technology, maturity and experience," says Michael Wright, president of L-3 Platform Integration. "The combination of L-3's C-130 domain knowledge and the latest Exelis EW technology will deliver mission-enabling capabilities quickly and with low risk."

Work on the pursuit will be performed at the Exelis facility in Clifton, New Jersey, and at L-3 Platform Integration in Waco, Texas. Exelis provides advanced, integrated EW solutions to protect and enable domestic and international customers to perform their critical missions. L-3 Platform Integration has decades of C-130 systems integration experience that includes a variety of special-mission C-130 variants.

Exelis is a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense, information, and services company with a greater than 50-year legacy of customer knowledge and technical expertise. Exelis is a provider of positioning and navigation, sensors, air traffic management solutions, image processing and distribution, communications and information systems; and focused on strategic growth in the areas of critical networks, ISR and analytics, electronic warfare, and composite aerostructures. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Exelis employs approximately 10,000 people and generated 2014 sales of approximately $3.3 billion.

L-3 Platform Integration has delivered hundreds of electronic warfare systems and self-protection system installations and has performed C-130 mission and weapon system integration, avionics modernization, and heavy structural refurbishment for numerous customers, including the U.S. Special Operations Command, the U.S. Air Force, and numerous international customers. Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 45,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aerospace systems and national security solutions. L-3 is also a provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on military and commercial platforms. The company reported 2014 sales of $12.1 billion.