HALIFAX, NS- xwave, an Aliant Company (TSX: AIT), today announced it has signed a $20 million contract with General Dynamics Canada, a member of the Sikorsky Aircraft-led Maritime Helicopter Team, to deliver mission-critical information systems as part of the Maritime Helicopter Program (MHP). The MHP will see the replacement of Canada`s Sea King helicopters with 28 new CH-148 Cyclones.

xwave is building several components that will support the helicopter including the Mission Preparation and Analysis System IIE (MPAS-IIE) that coordinates data for mission-planning, analysis, and archiving. The IIE (Integrated Information Environment) is the key-enabler that will provide the information systems for the lifecycle management of the new helicopters.

`The complexity of these information systems and the fact that xwave has been chosen to build them are a testament to our reputation as a leading Canadian provider of defence and aerospace technology,` said Paul Kent, Chief Operating Officer, xwave. `We are proud to be in the company of General Dynamics Canada and look forward to drawing from the full breadth of our Information and Communications Technology (ICT) capabilities to provide critical expertise and support.`

These systems are being built and serviced over a 20-year period, with design and delivery concentrated in the initial four years, and ongoing maintenance carried out in the remaining sixteen. Work will take place in both Halifax and Ottawa, where xwave employs a substantial number of defence and aerospace specialists.

In February, xwave signed a $200 million contract with L-3 Communications to build the above-mentioned Integrated Information Environment that will provide a common interface for accessing all the Cyclone helicopter`s technical documentation, maintenance records, training material, and mission-planning information.

The signing of these agreements with L-3 and General Dynamics Canada makes the MHP one of the largest contracts in xwave`s 30-year history. The MHP will help the company significantly further its growth strategy, based in part on strengthening its service base through the acquisition of large, annuity-based contracts. The size, duration and transformational nature of the MHP are in keeping with that mandate.

xwave has been a key defence and aerospace contractor for more than three decades. Working with the Department of National Defence (DND) and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), xwave has built an array of flight-training systems, electronic-warfare technologies, and performance-testing systems. The company also recently delivered its Tactical Airborne Crew Electronic Warfare Trainer (TACET) to the Canadian Air Force. TACET is a software solution that enables realistic training of Forces personnel in a safe, cost-effective environment.

Outside Canada, xwave has signed a contract with Airbus Deutschland GmbH to supply the company with hardware and software for the airborne Air-to-Air Re-fuelling (AAR) mission system. This system will be used on German and Canadian air force Airbus A310 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft. The contract is valued at $6.2M CDN. For the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), xwave installed a digital-flight-data and cockpit-voice-recorder ground-analysis system. Fully integrated, the system enables in-depth data recovery and analysis, allowing Egyptian aviation officials to examine raw decoded data through to complete reconstructed 3D animations.

About xwave
xwave, an Aliant Company, is a full-service business-solutions provider that serves clients through systems integration, infrastructure services, and fulfillment. These areas offer clients a broad delivery capability: xwave plans, designs, builds and operates complete ICT solutions that meet business-process needs and are designed to deliver a tangible return on technology investments. With more than $340 million in revenues and 1,900 people, xwave is one of the largest business-solutions companies in Canada, with locations in St. John`s, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, New England and Ireland. More information can be found at www.xwave.com

For further information, contact:
Karen.Ewing@xwave.com
877-332-4605