Contract Win

Embargoed until 0700 12th September 2013

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc

("Ultra" or "the Group")

Ultra awarded £6.3m development contract for the power distribution system on the UK's Warrior armoured fighting vehicle

Ultra Electronics announces that its Precision Air & Land Systems (PALS) business, based in Cheltenham, has been awarded a £6.3m contract by Lockheed Martin UK - Ampthill under the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) for the development of a new power distribution system for the British Army's Warrior armoured fighting vehicle.

The new power distribution system will deliver next-generation power management capability for each of the Warrior vehicle variants. Ultra will employ advanced design techniques to increase the power switching density and efficiency within existing vehicle space constraints without the need for expensive and bulky cooling systems, traditionally seen in legacy armoured fighting vehicles.

The WCSP development phase is due to complete in 2015 with serial production, worth a further £21.5m to Ultra Electronics, commencing in 2016. All of the engineering development work and manufacturing will take place in Ultra's new Arle Court facility in Cheltenham.

Rakesh Sharma, Chief Executive of Ultra, commented:

"I am delighted that we have been awarded the WCSP power distribution system development contract and that the first phase of this programme has now been initiated; it marks 6 years of investment and support into both WCSP and our relationship with LMUK. We look forward to working with our partners to successfully complete the development work and to transition into the production phase of this important programme for the British Army.

- Ends -

Enquiries:

Rakesh Sharma, Chief Executive 020 8813 4307

Mary Waldner, Group Finance Director

Susan Ellis, Corporate Affairs Adviser 078 3652 2722

James White, MHP Communications 020 3128 8756

www.ultra-electronics.com 

Further information about Ultra:

Ultra Electronics is an internationally successful defence, security, transport and energy company with a long, consistent track record of development and growth. Ultra businesses constantly innovate to create solutions to customer requirements that are different from and better than those of the Group's competitors. The Group has about one hundred and eighty distinct market or technology niches within its twenty eight businesses. The diversity of niches enables Ultra to contribute to a large number of platforms and programmes and provides resilience to the Group's financial performance.

Ultra has world-leading positions in many of its niches and, as an independent, non-threatening partner, is able to support all of the main prime contractors with specialist capabilities and solutions. As a result of such positioning, Ultra's systems, equipment or services are often mission-critical to the successful operation of the platform to which they contribute. In turn, this mission-criticality secures Ultra's positions for the long term which underpin the superior financial performance of the Group.

Ultra offers support to its customers through the design, delivery and support phases of a programme. Ultra businesses have a high degree of operational autonomy where the local management teams are empowered to devise and implement competitive strategies that reflect their expertise in their specific niches. The Group has a small head office and executive team that provide to the individual businesses the same agile, responsive support that they provide to customers as well as formulating Ultra's overarching, corporate strategy.

Across the Group's three divisions, the major market sectors in which Ultra operates are:

Defence: Ultra supplies advanced electronic and electrical systems and equipment to coalition defence forces around the world. The Group innovates to provide specialist capabilities that are superior to those available to the enemy. By focusing on delivering comparative military advantage, Ultra can gain market share and exploit the headroom for growth that is available in defence budgets worldwide.

Security and cyber: Ultra provides highly differentiated systems and capabilities to the broad security, intelligence and cyber market. Driven by the actions of rogue states, terrorist groups and organised crime, governments worldwide are focusing expenditure preferentially on addressing these threats. Ultra has highly specialised capabilities in secure communications, networks and high grade cryptographic equipment, key management systems and surveillance and intelligence gathering systems.

Transport: Ultra provides specialist software, systems and equipment for use in mass passenger transport systems. This includes high integrity real-time controls for civil aircraft, advanced IT solutions for modern airports and trackside power equipment for transit rail systems. Demand in all areas is driven by rising populations in affluent and developing regions of the world.

Energy: Countries around the world are addressing the strategic need to have secure access to increasing amounts of low carbon energy. Ultra has a range of safety critical sensors and controls used in existing and new build nuclear reactors. The Group has innovative portable energy sources powered by readily available propane gas. Ultra also has specialist sensors, derived from defence applications, which are highly effective in the underwater environment at hydrocarbon mapping.