Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. recently conducted a successful test of its VHF Cosite Unit (VCU) onboard a Stryker combat vehicle mockup at the U.S. Army's Electronic Proving Ground (EPG), Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. The March test continues Ball Aerospace's state-of-the-art development of the VCU, which is designed to enable simultaneous use of four Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) radios.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050512/LATH070 )

Ball Aerospace designed the rugged, yet lightweight 36-lb. VCU to provide cosite mitigation for the U.S. Marine Corps' future Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). It has broad applicability to a wide range of tactical military vehicles to substantially improve communications performance across the entire SINCGARS band. The Ball Aerospace VCU is currently configured for installation onboard highly mobile ground-based and littoral maritime platforms.

The VCU "helps ensure reliable communications for highly mobile forces in an increasingly complex and interconnected battlespace," says Mike Cerneck, vice president and general manager of defense operations for Ball Aerospace.

Ball Aerospace is an internationally recognized leader in the development and manufacture of advanced antennas and Radio Frequency (RF) communication subsystems for a wide variety of applications -- from systems mounted on land- based and maritime platforms, to airborne and space-based applications.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of metal and plastic packaging products, primarily for the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial markets. Ball Corporation employs more than 13,200 people and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release contains "forward-looking" statements and other statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," and variations of same and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially in Exhibit 99.2 in the most recent Form 10-K. These filings are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand; availability and cost of raw materials, particularly the recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; fruit, vegetable and fishing yields; industry productive capacity and competitive activity; lack of productivity improvement or production cost reductions; the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; international business risks, including foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries; and the effect of LIFO accounting on earnings. Factors that might affect aerospace segment include: funding, authorization and availability of government contracts and the nature and continuation of those contracts; and technical uncertainty associated with segment contracts. Factors that could affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; regulatory action or laws including environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; goodwill impairment; antitrust and other litigation; strikes; boycotts; increases in employee benefits and labor costs; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or management's evaluation of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.