December 18, 2002

US Monolithics to Supply Multi-Chip Modules for Navy Unmanned Helicopter Antenna

U.S. Monolithics has been awarded a contract from Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. (BATC) to design and produce transmit and receive multi-chip modules for a phased array antenna system. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. (BATC) is under subcontract to L-3 Communication Systems - West a division of L-3 Communications for the development of the phased array antenna system for use in the Naval Battleforce Network Program sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. The U.S. Monolithics contract includes development and prototypes that are scheduled for delivery six months after the date of the contract. With successful first system acceptance, U.S. Monolithics (USM) anticipates further contracts for final design, and production.

This network communication package, targeted for installation on unmanned or manned aircraft, will for the first time, provide the Navy and Marine Corps an “internet in the sky” capability. This capability is a key component of the Naval services network architecture and will support networked communications between wide ranging, highly mobile forces and sensors during complex military operations worldwide. In addition, the L-3 product will be used by the Navy to develop Network Centric Warfare concepts of operation, tactics and procedures.

With an advanced multi-function and multi-beam antenna provided by BATC, the L-3 networked airborne communication package will address the difficult problem of composite routing and convergence of wireless communications and ISR data. Additionally, the airborne communication package will provide the Navy and Marine Corps with a satellite independent, dynamically managed, flexible and interoperable high capacity Over-the-Horizon networked communications.

“This contract win is a result of our design and packaging skills for MMICs and modules that must perform in military environments,” said Dave Corman, president of U.S. Monolithics. “We complement the technologies and capabilities of Ball Aerospace well and are looking forward to a long term relationship.”

About L-3 Communication Systems - West

L-3 Communication Systems - West, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a leader in communication systems for intelligence collection, imagery processing and satellite communications for the defense industry. In addition, the company provides other military wireless products and satellite communication systems.

About BATC

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. provides imaging and communications products for commercial and government customers worldwide and is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL), a Fortune 500 company that had sales of $3.7 billion in 2001.

About US Monolithics

U.S. Monolithics, based in Chandler, Arizona, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ViaSat Inc., a producer of innovative satellite and other network communication products that enable fast, easy, secure, and efficient communications to any location. U.S. Monolithics focuses on providing superior, low-cost, MMIC-based products to the growing wireless telecommunications markets including satellite communications, point-to-point, and point-to-multipoint systems. U.S. Monolithics’ products include high-power Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) components and multi-chip modules, including power amplifiers, transceivers, and integrated block converters.