Synergy Contracting Services Joins Competition for New Military Vehicles

INDIANA, Pa. — June 10, 2008 — Synergy Contracting Services, LLC will join the Northrop Grumman Corp. and Oshkosh Corp. team that is competing to build the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, which will replace the current fleet of military Humvees for the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps.

Synergy Contracting Services will provide cable assemblies, adapters, brackets, and wire harnesses for the team’s vehicle. “We are thrilled and honored to be a major contributor to the development of the Northrop Grumman-Oshkosh JLTV, a next-generation tactical vehicle that will provide a critical capability to our nation’s soldiers and Marines,” said Nancy J. Saxman, president and CEO of Synergy Contracting Services. “Our team believes we have a superior approach and design. If we’re right, we’ll be building the vehicles used by our armed forces for the next 30 years.”

The Defense Department is expected to decide late this month which industry competitors will continue into the next development phase of the $40 billion program.

The JLTV must be stronger and more survivable than the Humvee and more mobile and maneuverable than the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, or MRAP, now being deployed in Iraq. This “family of vehicles” must be capable of performing a full range of military missions, including reconnaissance and cargo hauling or used as a mobile command center.

The JLTV offered by Northrop Grumman-Oshkosh team features diesel-electric drive, a unique but proven approach that provides more power, enables high performance, provides better protection and is easier to maintain. Although no vehicles in the military’s fleet use diesel-electric drive today, railroads and mining equipment have been powered by the technology for decades.

Diesel electric not only provides greater amounts of power to increase vehicle performance but also generates enough exportable power to run a field hospital, tactical operations center or any number of battlefield systems.
Northrop Grumman Corporation and Oshkosh Corporation joined forces to compete for the JLTV program on Jan. 8. If selected, Northrop Grumman would be the prime contractor and systems integrator, and Oshkosh would design, engineer and manufacture the vehicle.

Synergy Contracting Services LLC, a small, women-owned business located in a HUBZone, produces technically advanced, mission-critical cables, wire harnesses and electromechanical assemblies for original equipment manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Defense. Its products are used around the world in U.S. tactical aircraft and ground vehicles, smart weapons, and secure communication systems. The business was formed in 2001 to use the skill and experience of its members in performing services to assist other organizations with their manufacturing needs.