NASHUA, NH, 08-JUN-00 -- Sanders, a Lockheed Martin Company, and M/A-COM, Inc., a unit of Tyco International, have signed an agreement under which M/A-COM will add production of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) at Sanders' Microelectronics Center (MEC) in Nashua, N.H. The facility will be used to support products developed by both companies for the wireless and aerospace markets. John May, Sanders' Director of MEC Operations, said, This opportunity allows us to continue developing and producing MMICs to support our aerospace and defense customers while benefiting from the advantages of a high volume production fabrication facility.

Under a Cooperative Support and Technical Assistance Agreement, M/A-COM will manufacture MMICs on six-inch Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) wafers at Sanders' MEC facility in Nashua, N.H., for wireless telecommunications applications, while Sanders continues to manufacture MMICs at the same facility for aerospace and defense markets. The MEC houses a 13,000 square foot clean room facility using state-of-the-art processing technology and equipment, and specializes in high-performance microwave and millimeter wave devices operating at frequencies from below one to above 100 GHz. Product development is supported from advanced research and development through full-scale production for a wide range of commercial and military applications, including space and terrestrial communications, radar and electronic warfare, and missile electronics.

M/A-COM President Rick Hess said, This significant fab expansion enables M/A-COM to introduce our next generation wafer processes faster and more cost effectively while providing greatly needed additional capacity to meet the accelerating market demand for our GaAs wafers and products for communications applications. Our customers are looking for assurance that we will have the capacity they need for 2001 and this expansion is that assurance.

ABOUT SANDERS

Sanders is an operating company of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and a major producer of aircraft self-protection systems and tactical surveillance and intelligence systems for all branches of the armed forces. Other major business areas include microwave, mission and space electronics; infrared imaging; and automated mission planning systems.

ABOUT M/A-COM

M/A-COM, Inc., headquartered in Lowell Mass., is part of Tyco Electronics. M/A-COM supplies radio frequency (RF) and microwave integrated circuits and IP Networks to the wireless telecommunications and defense-related industries. M/A-COM's products include semiconductor devices, RF integrated circuits, and RF, microwave and millimeter wave passive and control devices, antennas, subsystems and systems. Employing more than 3,300 people, M/A-COM has sales offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide. Tyco Electronics is one of the major business units of Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC).