Aerojet Powers 15th Successful Standard Missile-3 Intercept

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aerojet, a GenCorp company, announced that a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) destroyed a short-range ballistic missile target in space on July 31, 2009. Aerojet's MK 72 booster and MK 104 dual-thrust rocket motor provided the first and second stage propulsion for this critical and successful hit-to-kill intercept by a Standard Missile-3.

SM-3 is being developed as part of the Missile Defense Agency's sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. The missiles are being deployed on Aegis cruisers and destroyers to defend against short-to-intermediate range ballistic missile threats in the mid-course phase of flight. Raytheon is the prime contractor for the development of SM-3.

The successful test advances U.S. sea-based missile defense capabilities and highlights Aerojet's leading role in providing reliable propulsion solutions for both MDA and U.S. Navy missions. "This test is further testament to the reliability of Aerojet's propulsion products. Our propulsion systems have performed reliably on every SM-3 flight and intercept test to date," said Aerojet's Vice President of Defense Systems, Dick Bregard.

Aerojet supports the next generation of sea- and land-based U.S. missile defense capabilities by providing reliable, low-risk propulsion technologies. In addition to the current production of MK 72 and MK 104 rocket motors, Aerojet is developing the Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control Systems (TDACS) for SM-3 Blocks IB and IIA, the planned missile variant upgrades to the current SM-3 Block IA.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' Web sites at http://www.aerojet.com/ and http://www.gencorp.com/.

Aerojet

CONTACT: Glenn Mahone, [phone], [e-mail], or
Kristin Conner, [phone], [e-mail], both of Aerojet

Web Site: http://www.aerojet.com/
http://www.gencorp.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/347350.html