EADS Back in Play for the KC-X, the Aerial Tanker That Just Can't Get off the Ground

Defense News: (By Matthew Potter) When Northrop Grumman (NOC) announced in March that it would not bid for the new aerial tanker for the U.S. Air Froce, the KC-X,Boeing (BA) and its many supporters in Congress believed it was sure to get the $35 billion contract. Now the deadline to bid has been extended 60 days to allow the European aerospace giant,EADS (EADS:P), to submit a proposal.

There are already reports that EADS, which would seek to provide A330 airliners made by its subsidiary,Airbus, to be modified into the tankers, is talking to other defense contractors about partnering. The addition of an experienced, preferably American, company could mitigate some of the issues facing EADS with leading a contract of this size for the U.S. military. The company has not had many major contracts to date with the Pentagon.

Considering that it has taken more than eight years and two aborted tries to award a contract, another two-month delay is minor. To Boeing and its supporters, though, it is unnecessary and seems to be a reflexive response to the French President’s recent visit to the White House and his pointed criticism of the current situation. Boeing is still confident that it will win the contract as its proposal, based on the smaller KC-767, meets the requirements better, which is why Northrop backed out.

If EADS and a new partner do submit a winning bid, the immediate result could be protest, litigation and more delays. The program now looks at getting new aircraft in 2011-15. Under the original lease plan from 2002, there should have been new aircraft flying now and the aging KC-135 heading to the boneyard.

Both Boeing and Airbus would love to get the work as the world’s airline business is still recovering from the recession. This contract would provide needed revenue and also subsidize the construction of a facility in the southern U.S. that could compete with lower labor costs to its existing plants in France and Germany. Boeing is building a plant in South Carolina.

A competitive contract is almost always preferable to a sole-source one. But if EADS fails to bid, or if its bid is unsuitable, all that will have resulted from this decision is one more delay to this critical program.

DTN News: BAE Systems Tops Ranking Of Biggest Arms Maker ~ Study

Defense News: DTN News: BAE Systems Tops Ranking Of Biggest Arms Maker ~ Study
Source: DTN News / AFP
(NSI News Source Info) STOCKHOLM - April 12, 2010: BAE Systems topped an international ranking of the world's biggest arms groups, becoming the first non-US company to hold the spot, a leading defence think tank said on Monday.
The group knocked US defence giant Boeing out of the top position in 2008, according to the ranking of biggest defence groups worldwide tallied by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
"The main reason that BAE became the largest arms-producing company in the world in 2008 is the increase in its US sales, which outpaced decreases elsewhere including in the UK," the think tank said in the study.
With arms sales in 2008 of 18.9 billion pounds, Boeing fell from first place in 2007 to third following BAE Systems with 20.98 billion pounds and US group Lockheed Martin with 19.36 billion pounds.
It was followed by three US groups -- Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and Raytheon -- ahead of European group EADS in seventh place, Italian company Finmeccanica in eighth, L-3 Communications in ninth and Thales of France in tenth position.
The biggest Russian group on the list, air defence systems maker Almaz-Antei, was number 18 on the list.
In 2008 the 100 biggest defence groups had arms sales of 249 billion pounds, up 11 percent from the previous year, according to SIPRI.
"This is more than three times the size of the total development aid of OECD countries in 2008," SIPRI said, noting that such aid reached 77.73 billion pounds.
Putting the data in perspective, the think tank said that arms sales of Lockheed Martin alone topped US development aid by four billion dollars and that BAE Systems sales were greater than the gross domestic product of 105 countries.
SIPRI's ranking focuses on companies' arms sales which make up only 48 percent of Boeing's turnover and 70 percent of Lockheed Martin's revenues.
In BAE System's case, arms sales make up a far larger share of its sales with 95 percent of the total.
Born out of the merger of Marconi and British Aerospace in 1999, BAE Systems counts among its products the Eurofighter combat aircraft, the Bradley tank and the Astute submarine.
With 59 percent of BAE Systems' sales coming from the vast US arms market, the group has major production operations in the country as well as in Britain, Sweden, South Africa and Sweden.
"BAE really shows the increasing internationalisation of the arms industry and the attractiveness of the US market," SIPRI arms industry expert Susan Jackson said.
The group has benefitted from sales of mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles to the US government for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

DTN News: Kuwaiti MPs Warn Of Grilling Over French Jets

Defense News: DTN News: Kuwaiti MPs Warn Of Grilling Over French Jets
Source: DTN News / By Omar Hasan (AFP)
(NSI News Source Info) KUWAIT CITY - April 12, 2010: An Islamist bloc in Kuwait's parliament opposed to a planned purchase of French-made Rafale warplanes on Sunday warned it will grill senior officials if the deal is signed.
"Signing the purchase agreement means we will grill whoever is responsible for authorising the deal," spokesman for the Reform and Development Bloc Faisal al-Muslim told a press conference.
He would not say, however, whether the prime minister or defence minister are among the officials the bloc plans to call to account if the multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase between 14 and 28 Rafale jets goes ahead.
Another of the bloc's MPs, Jamaan al-Harbash, who has campaigned against the deal for several months, produced what he said were documents from the defence ministry recommending that the purchase be dropped.
"The reports concluded that the plane is not technically advanced, its price is very expensive and so are its spare parts. If it goes ahead, the deal will be a massive squandering of public funds," Harbash said.
Both Muslim and Harbash insisted that their opposition to the deal had nothing to do with any animosity against France.
MP Mussallam al-Barrak, spokesman for the opposition four-MP Popular Action Bloc, later declared total support for any political questioning over the Rafale deal.
The visiting chief of staff of the French armed forces, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, defended the Rafale as one of the best warplanes in the world, saying negotiations over the deal are proceeding in complete transparency.
"France has proposed that Kuwait replace the old Mirage jets with the advanced Rafale and the Kuwaiti government asked to study the offer," Guillaud was quoted as saying by the official KUNA news agency.
Guillaud said Kuwait has sent experts to France for a close assessment of the jets, adding that Paris will also make a proposal to sell the plane to the United Arab Emirates.
The Popular Action Bloc has been campaigning against several proposed arms deals, including the Rafale purchase.
Last month, Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah said the Rafale deal remained a priority for Kuwait.
In November, the emirate's parliament voted unanimously to ask the independent Audit Bureau to probe three planned arms deals with the United States and France that one lawmaker said were worth billions of dollars.
The deals include the planned purchase of an unspecified number of US-made Hercules transport aircraft and an ammunition factory, as well as the Rafale fighters.
But Muslim said on Sunday that the accounts watchdog told parliament that it was unable to carry out the probe because the defence ministry failed to provide it with the necessary documents.
In October, Kuwait and France signed a new defence agreement and discussed details of the Rafale deal.
During a Gulf tour in February 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said discussions had begun with Kuwait on the sale of between 14 and 28 Rafales, which are made by France's Dassault Aviation.

DTN News: Boeing Completes Site Acceptance Testing Of Australia's Network Centric Command And Control System

Defense News: DTN News: Boeing Completes Site Acceptance Testing Of Australia's Network Centric Command And Control System
Source: DTN News / Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) BRISBANE, Queensland, - April 12, 2010: Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], today announced that Project Vigilare, a Network Centric Command and Control System (NC3S) solution for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), has passed Site Acceptance Testing at the Northern Regional Operational Centre (NROC) located at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.
"The Site Acceptance Test verifies Vigilare, as installed at the NROC site, is able to interface with all the relevant external systems and is ready for operational testing," said Arthur Mamalis, Boeing Defence Australia program director for Project Vigilare. "This shows that we continue to make significant strides toward delivering Vigilare's full operational capability to our RAAF customer."
The system successfully demonstrated its ability to manage multiple datalinks concurrently from the site by using assets deployed over a vast geographic area, both in the Northern Territory and the East Coast of Australia. These datalinks connected test assets as well as operational assets such as RAAF F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.
"With data feeds from more than 45 different sensors and agencies using an enhanced Department of Defence communications network, the Vigilare Site Acceptance Test demonstrated an integrated, high-fidelity command and control system capability," said Tim Malone, Defence Materiel Organisation project director for Project Air 5333 Vigilare. "This is the culmination of many years of hard work by operational specialists, engineers and logisticians to build a system that arguably will be the benchmark for Network Centric Warfare systems in the Australian Defence Force for some time."
Operational testing with the RAAF is scheduled to begin in June, before Vigilare is accepted at NROC by the Commonwealth of Australia.
"This milestone was a direct result of the commitment and dedication of our employees, our program partners and the customer," said Steve Parker, Boeing vice president and general manager of Network and Space Systems - Australia. "The overriding success of the test demonstrated the advanced capabilities Vigilare provides and allows the team to prepare for operational testing."
Developed by Boeing Defence Australia, NC3S integrates advanced technologies that combine data from land, sea, air and space platforms, sensors, data links and intelligence agencies to provide tactical and strategic-level surveillance and battlespace management operations across wide geographic regions.
Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of nearly 2,000 employees at 13 locations throughout Australia and two international sites, Boeing Defence Australia supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Washington Nuclear Summit Under Way

Defense News: DTN News: Washington Nuclear Summit Under Way
Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - April 12, 2010: Leaders and representatives from 47 nations have gathered for a nuclear security summit in Washington as Barack Obama, the US president, pledges to one day rid the world of nuclear weapons.
Obama is expected to tell delegates at Monday's conference that the biggest threat to global security has shifted from the possibility of confrontation between nuclear armed states, to the fear that "terrorist" groups might acquire atomic weapons.
"The single biggest threat to US security, both short-term, medium-term and long-term, would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama said at meetings with world leaders on Sunday.
"We know that organisations like al-Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, and would have no compunction at using them."
Concrete commitments
Obama set a goal of ensuring all nuclear materials worldwide are secured from theft or diversion within four years.
The White House will seek concrete commitments from world leaders on securing stockpiles of separated plutonium and uranium, to ensure that they cannot be stolen, smuggled or sold.
"I feel very good at this stage in the degree of commitment and sense of urgency that I've seen from the world leaders so far on this issue," Obama said.
"We think we can make enormous progress on this."
The summit will focus primarily on separated plutonium and highly enriched uranium stocks, rather than radiological "dirty" bombs, which the US sees as a less catastrophic threat than nuclear devices.
US officials hope nations participating in the summit will agree on a series of security steps for their own nuclear material, and help pay to put the stocks of less well-off countries under lock and key.
They also expect some leaders to unveil specific actions, similar to Chile's decision to ship a stock of highly enriched uranium to the US.
Binyamin absent
Iran and North Korea were not invited to the conference. The US believes that Iran is attempting to build a nuclear weapon in violation of the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and it objects to North Korea's nuclear weapons stockpile and exports of nuclear materials and technology.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will not attend the conference and is expected to send Dan Meridor, the deputy prime minister, in his place.
Insiders said Netanyahu was worried Turkey and Egypt would use the summit to challenge him over his country's nuclear arsenal, which Israel has never officially acknowledged.The two countries planned to demand that Israel sign up to the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The conference is the fourth leg of Obama's campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons, which began a year ago in Prague, in the Czech Republic, when he laid out plans for significant nuclear reductions.
Last week Obama approved a new nuclear policy for the US vowing to reduce its' nuclear arsenal, refrain from nuclear tests and not use nuclear weapons against countries that do not have them.
North Korea and Iran were not included in the pledge.
Also last week Obama and Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian president, signed a new START treaty that reduces each side's deployed nuclear arsenal to 1,550 weapons.
The conference is a precursor to the United Nation's Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference next month, seen as another important moment in heading off a future nuclear arms race.

Lockheed Martin Backs Year of Nano at Rice

Birthplace of nanotechnology to host gala, symposium, sculpture garden

Defense News: BETHESDA, Md., April 12, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Rice University are celebrating the 25th anniversary of a breakthrough that has advanced technology in fields from medicine to baseball. Lockheed Martin is sponsoring the Year of the Nano, Rice’s celebration of the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the buckminsterfullerene molecule – the “buckyball” – that enables nanotechnology.

The buckyball, a perfect, soccer ball-shaped molecule of 60 carbon atoms, is one of the toughest materials in nature. Its discovery in 1985 by Nobel Prize winners Richard Smalley and Robert Curl of Rice and Harold Kroto of Florida State University, along with Rice researchers James Heath and Sean O'Brien, kicked off an era of nanotech research.

“Nano is revolutionizing modern technology just as plastics did generations ago,” says Dr. Ray O Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Lockheed Martin. “As a global security company, Lockheed Martin looks to our scientists and engineers to come up with innovative solutions for the future. In so many ways, nanotechnology is that future. That’s why we are proud to partner with Rice on this event.”

Lockheed Martin and Rice already share a unique and productive partnership on the cutting edge of nanotechnology: the Lockheed Martin Advanced Nanotechnology Center of Excellence at Rice (LANCER) in Houston. LANCER is where some of the top researchers in academia tackle the high-tech industry’s toughest problems. The goal of the facility is to get nanotechnology out of the lab and into our lives.

The Year of Nano, presented by Lockheed Martin, will include a series of events throughout 2010 capped by a symposium in October that will bring to campus some of the biggest names in carbon nanotechnology research. Curl, Kroto, Heath, and O'Brien will talk about their discovery and the subsequent development of nanotechnology into the focal point of researchers around the world. Smalley died in 2005.

The symposium week begins on October 10 with the 10-10-10 Gala, hosted by Rice's Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. The event will celebrate the history of nanotechnology at Rice and support the future of a field that has the potential to remake the energy industry, medical care, materials science, and more.

"The Smalley Institute is grateful to Lockheed Martin for helping us put on the Year of Nano in a way that the 25th anniversary of the buckyball deserves," says Wade Adams, the institute's director. “Thanks to Lockheed’s support, we can do a high-caliber symposium as well as many other events that will display Rice’s pioneering role and leadership in the field of nanotechnology.”

The symposium will feature talks by a number of nanotechnology pioneers, including Andreas Hirsch, Organic Chemistry Chair at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Phaedon Avouris, an IBM Fellow and manager of Nanometer Scale Science and Technology at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York; Hongjie Dai, the J.G. Jackson-C.J. Wood Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University; Millie Dresselhaus, Institute Professor and professor of physics and electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Marvin Cohen, University Professor at the University of California-Berkeley and a senior faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Andre Geim, professor of condensed matter physics at the University of Manchester; Morinobu Endo, professor of electrical and electronic engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Shinshu University and Donald Huffman, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Arizona.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

Media Contact: Thad Madden, 301-897-6833 e-mail,thad.madden@lmco.com

Lockheed Martin's F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant Undergoes Drop Testing

Defense News: Dallas, Texas, April 12th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin's F-35C Lightning II carrier variant ground-test article, CG-1, undergoes drop testing at Vought Aircraft in Dallas – one of 53 tests planned for CG-1 at Vought. On March 27,CG-1,was dropped 95 inches at 20 feet per second, with an 8.8-degree pitch, 2-degree roll, and 133-knot wheel speed, simulating a carrier-deck landing. During the testing, 500 sensors are monitored, with 2,500 points collected per second. The F-35C will be the Navy's first stealth fighter. In addition to ground testing, flight test continues, with more than 170 test flights logged. During the first quarter of 2010, the three F-35B test aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., outperformed flight test requirements, completing 33 flights compared to the 29 required. Twenty-eight of the flights took place at Patuxent River, with the remaining five conducted from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant.

F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant Undergoes Drop Testing at Vought Aircraft in Dallas.

Media Contacts:

Chris Geisel
Office: 817-763-2643
Email: christian.g.geisel@lmco.com

John Kent
Office: 817-763-3980
Email: john.r.kent@lmco.com

EADS says no decision yet on U.S. tanker bid

Defense News: PARIS (Reuters) - The chief executive of Airbus parent EADS (Paris:EAD.PA - News) said on Monday the European group had not yet decided whether to challenge Boeing (NYSE:BA - News) for a deal worth up to $50 billion to sell aerial tankers to the United States.

Trade visitors visit the EADS display area at the Singapore Airshow February 2, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Chong

Louis Gallois told LCI Television in an interview to be broadcast later on Monday that any bid would be at a reasonable price and he ruled out going ahead with a loss-making proposal merely in order to pull off a strategic coup.

Gallois also said EADS was seeking a U.S. partner to handle sensitive electronics work and confirmed talks with L-3 Communications (NYSE:LLL - News) and Raytheon (NYSEArca:RTR - News) as well as others.

A tape of his remarks was made available ahead of their scheduled transmission in France at 1820 GMT.

EADS is mulling whether to take the lead on a new bid afterNorthrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - News), its lead partner on an earlier successful bid which was overturned on an appeal fromBoeing, decided to quit the race to re-equip the U.S. tanker fleet.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by James Regan)

SAIC Awarded Contract to Support Naval Air Systems Command

Company to Provide Professional and Analytical Support Services to NAVAIR's Corporate Operations and Comptroller Offices

Defense News: MCLEAN, Va., April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE:SAI - News) today announced it has been awarded a contract by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to support the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Corporate Operations and Comptroller Offices with a full range of organizational and business services. The multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options and a ceiling value of $84 million for all awardees. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. and at NAVAIR sites as required.

NAVAIR's Corporate Operations and Comptroller Office serves the U.S. Navy by providing a wide variety of business services to other competencies, commanding officers, site managers, and integrated project/program/enterprise teams. Under the contract, SAIC will provide professional and analytical support services to NAVAIR, as required, by defining and helping establish commercial business best practices to enable the NAVAIR Team to enhance performance and reduce costs. SAIC will also provide support in areas including management; organizational and business improvement; financial and business solutions; and human resources.

"We look forward to continuing our support of this important customer by helping NAVAIR enhance the support they provide to Naval warfighters including program management, strategic planning, and analytical and reporting capability services," said Debbie James, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager.

About SAIC

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 45,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of $10.8 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2010. For more information, visit www.saic.com. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in SAIC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2010, and other such filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Contact:	Melissa Koskovich	Laura Luke
	(703) 676-6762	(703) 676-6533
	Melissa.l.koskovich@saic.com	laura.luke@saic.com

ManTech Awarded $8.8M Contract from NATO to Support Analysis of Worldwide Operations

Will Support the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre in Monsanto, Portugal and Worldwide

Defense News: FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ManTech International Corporation (Nasdaq: MANT - News), a leading provider of technical and engineering services and solutions vital to the nation’s interest and security, announced today that it has received a five-year, $8.8 million contract from NATO’s Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation to support their Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC).

The JALLC is NATO’s lead agency for the analysis of operations, exercises, training and experiments, and for the collection and communication of lessons learned. JALLC deploys teams worldwide to support NATO, analyzing all aspects of the Alliance’s work at the operational and strategic levels. JALLC’s base in Monsanto, near Lisbon, Portugal also hosts NATO’s Lessons Learned Database, where lessons are captured, stored and processed.

ManTech operational analysts will serve on JALLC analysis teams and assist in data collection and analysis for ongoing as well as emergent NATO operations. JALLC’s analysis process embraces all aspects of an operational issue, from doctrine and training to operational processes, logistical support, command and control, and communication processes.

“ManTech has extensive experience supporting worldwide national security missions,” said Louis Addeo, President, Technical Services Group, ManTech International Corporation. “In fact, many facets of our Smart Power ‘whole of government’ issues solution closely mirror NATO’s efforts to identify and benefit from best practices and lessons learned. We are excited to be able to offer our expertise to help accomplish JALLC’s important mission.”

JALLC currently works with NATO’s operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and on maritime security operations in the Mediterranean. They support NATO exercises for the NATO Response Force and the training of troops prior to deployment on NATO operations. JALLC has also contributed analysis expertise during NATO’s humanitarian relief efforts following the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 and security operations during the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

About ManTech International Corporation:

Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia with approximately 8,900 professionals, ManTech is a leading provider of innovative technologies and solutions for mission-critical national security programs for the Intelligence Community; the departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security and Justice; the Space Community; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and other U.S. federal government customers. ManTech’s expertise includes systems engineering, systems integration, enterprise architecture, cyber security, information assurance, intelligence operations and analysis support, network and critical infrastructure protection, information operations and information warfare support, information technology, communications integration, global logistics and supply chain management, and service oriented architectures. Additional information on ManTech can be found at www.mantech.com.

Forward-Looking Information:

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in ManTech's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2009, and other periodic and current reports that ManTech makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Contact:

ManTech International Corporation
Stuart Davis
Corporate EVP, Strategy and Communications
703-218-8269
stuart.davis@mantech.com

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ON Semiconductor Amends its Zero Coupon Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2024

Defense News: PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ON Semiconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: ONNN) ("ON Semiconductor"), announced today that it has amended its Zero Coupon Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024, Series B (CUSIP No. 682189AE5) (the "Notes"). The amendments are intended to benefit the holders of the Notes who do not require ON Semiconductor to purchase or convert their Notes on April 15, 2010.

The amendments include:

• One additional opportunity to require ON Semiconductor to purchase the Notes (the “Put Option”) on April 15, 2012 (the “Repurchase Date”). The terms of this Put Option are otherwise identical to the purchase option currently provided for in the Indenture governing the Notes whereby holders of the Notes may require ON Semiconductor to purchase the Notes on April 15, 2010; and
• Additional call protection, eliminating ON Semiconductor's ability to redeem the Notes at its option until April 15, 2012 (prior to the amendment, ON Semiconductor would have been able to redeem the Notes at its option at any time commencing April 15, 2010).

“As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2009, we had approximately $571 million of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments on our balance sheet,” said Donald Colvin, ON Semiconductor executive vice president and CFO. “The amendments to the Notes provide a mechanism for ON Semiconductor to extend zero coupon debt based upon feedback from certain bondholders and provide additional financial flexibility to use excess cash to retire other higher coupon debt instruments. We remain committed to improving the capital structure of the company and continue to examine opportunities to improve shareholder value.”

The specific terms of the amendments are set forth in the First Supplemental Indenture, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, and the summary of the terms of the amendments in this press release are qualified in their entirety by reference to the First Supplemental Indenture and the Form 8-K. Holders of the Notes should read the Form 8-K and the First Supplemental Indenture in their entirety.

Holders of the Notes have the right to require ON Semiconductor to purchase the Notes at a price equal to 100 percent of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes. Holders who validly surrender Notes for purchase by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 13, 2010 and do not withdraw the Notes previously surrendered in accordance with The Depository Trust Company's procedures by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 15, 2010 will receive 100 percent of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes purchased, in cash, on April 16, 2010.

Holders should discuss with their tax advisors the tax implications of ON Semiconductor's amendments to the terms of the Indenture, which are described in the Form 8-K.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase the Notes nor is this announcement an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell new securities.

About ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ONNN - News) is a premier supplier of high performance, energy efficient, silicon solutions for green electronics. The company's broad portfolio of power and signal management, logic, discrete and custom devices helps customers efficiently solve their design challenges in automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, LED lighting, medical, military/aerospace and power applications. ON Semiconductor operates a world-class, value-added supply chain and a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centers in key markets throughout North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions. For more information, visit http://www.onsemi.com.

ON Semiconductor and the ON Semiconductor logo are registered trademarks of Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC. All other brand and product names appearing in this document are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. Although the company references its Web site in this news release, such information on the Web site is not to be incorporated herein.

Contact:

ON Semiconductor
Anne Spitza
Corporate Communications
602.244.6398
anne.spitza@onsemi.com
or
Ken Rizvi
Corporate Development, Treasury & Investor Relations
602.244.3437
ken.rizvi@onsemi.com

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