New Hand-Held Mine Detectors from U.S. Army

L-3 Communications, NEW YORK: L-3 Communications announced today that its CyTerra (L-3 CyTerra) subsidiary has been awarded an AN/PSS-14 Mine Detecting Set Full Rate Production contract from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command Acquisition Center – Washington. L-3 CyTerra will deliver up to 17,000 AN/PSS-14 Mine Detecting Sets, as well as Sweep Monitoring Systems for training, Training Target Sets, and worldwide training and support over a ten-year period, including options. 
 
The anticipated value of the contract over its ten-year life is in excess of $300 million, with a first order value of approximately $24 million. “This award from the U.S. Army confirms that our recent acquisition of CyTerra has been strategic to the continued success of expanding L-3's product offering to military markets,” noted Michael T. Strianese, interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer of L-3 Communications. “Additionally, L-3 CyTerra will also prove to be a key building block in the expansion of L-3's homeland security offerings.” L-3 acquired CyTerra on March 3, 2006. 
 
As U.S. troops continue to operate in one of the world's most heavily mined regions, the United States Army will now have the most capable mine detector equipment ever deployed. Unlike earlier generations of equipment that relied on metal detection alone, the AN/PSS-14 combines metal detection with ground penetrating radar. Weighing only nine pounds, the unit detects both metallic and low-metallic anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in all types of soil. 
 
“We are committed to continuing our work with the Army and the Department of Defense to put this new equipment in the hands of our soldiers as quickly as possible,” said Craig Coy, president and chief operating officer of the L-3 Homeland Security Group. “Mine detection is one of the riskiest procedures in the military, and this technology significantly improves the speed and safety of mine clearance operations for U.S. soldiers. The accelerated deployment of the system means that we will be able to provide our ground troops with the most sophisticated equipment available today.” 
 
David Fine, president of L-3 CyTerra added, “Our technology dramatically enhances the capability of our soldiers to readily find and locate buried mines in all types of soil and terrain. We're proud of our partnership with the Army, which has worked so aggressively to develop this breakthrough mine detection technology.” 
 
The AN/PSS-14 was developed under the U.S. Army's Hand-held Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS) program. It will be used in conjunction with other mine clearing tools, such as heavy equipment fitted with special plows, and the strategic use of counter-explosives. 
 
The lightweight AN/PSS-14, which folds up into a compact package, allows soldiers to easily operate the system while clearing minefields. The unit has been shown in U.S. Army trials to be capable of detecting nearly 100% of mines in all terrain, with a minimum of false alarms. 
 
To date, L-3 CyTerra has already delivered more than 2,000 AN/PSS-14 Mine Detecting Sets to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps on a previous contract, and partners with Tobyhanna Army Depot support and training for the units worldwide. 
 
Headquartered in Orlando, FL and founded in 2000, L-3 CyTerra currently serves a broad customer base that includes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Army and Navy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and several foreign militaries. 
 
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, training and government services.