October 20, 2005

BATTELLE WINS $98 MILLION AIR FORCE TASK-ORDER CONTRACT TO SUPPORT CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROTECTION TESTING AND EVALUATION

Columbus, Ohio--The U.S. Air Force has awarded Battelle a four-year, $98 million task-order contract to provide engineering and technical services to support the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), Detachment 1, at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The testing and evaluation focuses on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) protection objectives.

Battelle will lead a team of companies in evaluating the operational effectiveness and suitability of new CBRNE protection systems under realistic conditions to determine whether operational requirements have been satisfied. The contract also calls for the team to assess maturing technologies.

The contract award extends the support Battelle has provided to AFOTEC under the Rapid Test Support (RTS) and Operational Test Support (OTS) contracts over the past four years.

"As the prime contractor for this effort, we lead a team of companies with best-in-class capabilities, and we're excited about this expanded partnership with AFOTEC," said Pete Hennessey, Vice President for Battelle's Air Force Sector.

Battelle is a global leader in science and technology headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1929. It manages laboratories, and develops and commercializes technologies and related services across the full spectrum of national security missions. Including its management and co-management of national laboratories, Battelle oversees a workforce of 19,000, while conducting $2.9 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations include the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on compact disc technology, medical technology advancements and fiber optic technologies.

For more information, visit www.battelle.org or contact National Media Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (410) 306-8638 or at delaneyk@battelle.org