December 1, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) said it has received a $5 million contract from the U.S. Army for the first phase of the Army’s Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative.

The company is one of three selected for the first phase of the competition. Phase one consists of a three month design, maturation and demonstration program aimed at developing a precision mortar capability. The first phase concludes with flight tests and a competitive “shoot off” amongst industry designs.

Prior to winning the award, ATK concluded a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement flight test program of its Mortar Guidance Kit design.

The U.S. Army is sponsoring APMI to meet operational needs for a precision, 120mm mortar capability for reliable and lethal response to enemy engagements – especially in mountainous terrain inaccessible to artillery.

A precision guided mortar provides field commanders with indirect fire capability to successfully engage targets while mitigating collateral damage. Additionally, greater accuracy reduces the number of rounds required to successfully defeat targets while reducing in-theater logistical requirements.

ATK is an aerospace and defense company with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally.

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