Alliant Techsystems is a major US aerospace and defense contractor with sales of approximately USD $3.3 billion (fiscal year 2006) and strong positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, precision capabilities, and civil and sporting ammunition.

Background

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Alliant Techsystems was spun off from Honeywell in 1990. Their headquarters are in Edina, Minnesota. ATK owns a number of famous brands, including Thiokol, Federal (ammunition), and others. It provides most of the small caliber ammunition for US police and military units. ATK has a large share of the sporting ammunition market as well. The company is also a leader in providing "green" ammunition to hunters and to military organizations, greatly reducing the use of heavy metals (e.g., lead) in wetlands, training ranges and combat settings.

Since 2000, ATK has moved to compete for larger, more complex systems, and has won a number of contracts for guided weapons. The company has also acquired several smaller firms, including Mission Research Corporation, an established contractor providing specialized, and often highly classified electronics to the USAF and other customers. Mission Research is said to be providing a number of innovative systems, including small low cost sensors for homeland security (monitoring for hazardous materials) and non-lethal beam weapons to disable people, cars, and explosives.

The firm makes a number of non-military products, such as propulsion systems for NASA. Nearly every NASA planetary probe has used some form of propulsion from the one of the company's divisions, and ATK also participated in the X-43A project. They also produce the propulsion system used in the Trident D5 nuclear missile.

The company produces a number of controversial military products, including depleted uranium rounds and cluster bombs, considered indiscriminate weapons. As a result, the company has been a target of peace movement protests, with weekly vigils held at Alliant Techsystems headquarters as well as occasional organized acts of civil disobedienceAlliantAction.

Unlike some defense contractors who have been very aggressive with protesters, ATK has generally taken a low-key approach, although some arrests for trespassing have taken place.

Depleted Uranium Weapons

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Alliant Techsystems makes depleted uranium shells for use in U.S. tanks, armored personnel carriers, and howitzers. The use of these rounds is the subject of great controversy because of their impact on the environment and human health, both in the long and short term.

Alliant has produced over 15 million 30 mm PGU-14 shells (used in the A-10's Gatling gun) for the U.S. Air Force and over a million 120mm M829 rounds for the U.S. Army.Dirty Dozen: Alliant Techsystems In February 2006, U.S. Army quietly placed an order for $38 million of M829 rounds, bringing the total order from the Alliant Techsystems to $77 million for fiscal year 2006.John K. Byrne. U.S. signs $38 million deal for depleted uranium tank shells with ATK, The Raw Story, March 2, 2006.

Corporate governance

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Current members of the board of directors of Alliant Techsystems are: Frances Cook, Gilbert Decker, Ronald Fogleman, David Jeremiah, Roman Martinez, Robert RisCassi, Michael T. Smith, and William Van Dyke.

See also

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• List of modern armament manufacturers

External links

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• Alliant Techsystems Inc.
• RightWeb profile of Alliant Techsystems (ATK)
• SourceWatch profile of Alliant Techsystems (ATK)

Companies based in Minnesota | Defense companies of the United States | Fortune 1000