ATK announces contracts to supply composite structures and tooling for the Airbus A350 XWB commercial airliner

Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced that Airbus SAS and its partners Aerolia SA, Premium Aerotec GmbH and Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. have selected the company to produce composite structures and tooling for its next-generation A350 XWB (Xtra Wide Body) aircraft. Total expected revenues for ATK amount to approximately $1B. Combined with the previous announcement for A350 XWB composite engine components, this new selection makes the aircraft the largest commercial program in ATK's history.

The company will produce the composite components at its composite manufacturing center of excellence in Iuka, Mississippi. At peak production, ATK could produce up to 25 miles of A350 XWB composite components per month. ATK's proprietary automated stiffener forming machines (ASFM) will be instrumental in the development and manufacture of low-cost composite stringers and frames in a wide variety of shapes that will be required throughout the composite fuselage structure. The company's patented ASFM process allows ATK to produce extremely high quality composite components with the greatest flexibility in design and unmatched repeatability.

ATK's proprietary production processes reduce manufacturing time by 90 percent over traditional hand lay-up methods, while its advanced ultrasonic inspection process ensures unmatched quality and rapid delivery.

"The A350 XWB program builds on ATK's decades of composite production experience in military aircraft and launch vehicle programs," said John Shroyer, interim CEO. "This production program showcases the unique capabilities of ATK's composite manufacturing expertise and provides ATK a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enter on the ground floor of a revolution in the way commercial airliners will be produced in the decades to come."