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	View photos of a Metal Space Frame Radome installation in Kwajalein

L-3 Communications ESSCO Installs 68-Foot-Diameter Space Frame Radome with Gore-Tex™ Membranes for Kwajalein Range Services

CONCORD, MA, January 26, 2004 — L-3 Communications ESSCO (ESSCO), a business unit of L-3 Communications Corporation (NYSE:LLL), is pleased to announce ahead-of-schedule completion of a replacement 68-foot-diameter space frame radome as part of the Millimeter Wave (MMW) Radar Replacement Radome Program for Kwajalein Range Services (KRS).

ESSCO worked closely with MIT/Lincoln Laboratory, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and KRS (on behalf of the Department of the Army, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site) to dismantle the existing 22-year-old radome and design, manufacture, install and test the replacement radome. MIT/LL, the USAKA/RTS Scientific Advisor, identified an opportunity to gain a 2 dB performance improvement with a new Gore-Tex™ radome. This improvement is equivalent to increasing the size of the antenna from 13.7 meters (45 feet) to 17.25 meters (56.6 feet) — a gain of about 26% in effective aperture size, while maintaining a benign operating environment for system missions and extending antenna life for another 20+ years.

“The MMW Radar replacement radome presented a myriad of technical challenges, which was compounded by the need to keep the antenna live as much as possible to handle the test site’s high-volume, mission-critical workload,” said Dr. Apostle G. Cardiasmenos, president of ESSCO. “From the Critical Design Review (CDR), to monthly milestone meetings, to in-process inspections at our facility and a well-planned installation schedule, our superior management team of all involved parties was able to achieve outstanding success.”

Given the complex technical logistics surrounding the radome installation, the fact that it was completed ahead of schedule is a true measure of how well the entire program was planned and executed. “The planned effort was supposed to take 45 days and was completed 12 days faster than expected,” said Mark Thimsen of KRS, the on-site project manager. “The crew worked hard, we had great weather and the leak test was completed with no leaks found after spraying over 1500 gallons of fresh water on the radome.”

Because the MMW Radar is a precision instrument, subject to far more stringent alignment, pointing and environmental tolerances than typical radar systems, and because it had never been exposed to a salt-laden ambient environment, a unique approach was required to accomplish the radome dismantle and reinstall effort. Working with site-supplied equipment and an on-site crew, supplemented by ESSCO’s highly experienced field service professionals, the team implemented and closely monitored a detailed panel removal and replacement plan. The cap of the radome (about 70% of the dome) was assembled off to one side and then lifted into place. The lifts were planned well in advance due to the isolation of the site.

Unlike a typical metal space frame radome panel, the special low-loss MMW Gore-Tex™ membranes could not be walked on during the installation effort, which required additional aerial work platform time. The final plan called for replacement of the first few layers of panels, one at a time, to minimize antenna exposure. At no point was the system exposed to the elements for more than a day and it was never exposed overnight. The cap lift exposed the sensor to outside air and direct sunlight for a total of only 50 minutes; it was a high priority to keep the exposure to a minimum. Baseline system performance tests, using a series of system tests, calibrations, satellite tracks and imaging events, were established immediately prior to removal of the old radome and again after the new radome installation effort was completed to determine if any antenna realignment was needed. No realignment was required and significant improvements in system performance were immediately obtained.

ESSCO and W.L. Gore collaborated in 1987 to build a similar 68-foot metal space frame radome with Gore-Tex™ membranes to cover and protect a 13.7-meter radio telescope. This radome, which is used at millimeter wave frequencies up to 230 GHz, was built for the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) located at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Based on this previously successful partnership, the ESSCO/W.L. Gore team was able to refine and improve the design, materials and installation method for the MMW Radar, ensuring the final product represents the next generation of high-performance metal space frame radomes.

L-3 Communications ESSCO and its subsidiary, L-3 Communications ESSCO Collins Limited (ECL), are the world’s largest producers of ground-based radomes and sophisticated high-performance advanced composite applications. Since its founding in 1961, ESSCO has produced more than 4,000 ground-based radomes. These products have been installed worldwide in all environmental conditions. The performance of ESSCO products has been proven by actual field experience and extensive testing by the company and its customers. To learn more about ESSCO, please visit the company’s web site at www.esscoradomes.com.

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 and is a merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace prime contractors. To learn more about L-3 Communications, please visit the company's web site at www.L-3Com.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. 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.