St. Louis, MO, October 19, 2004 – Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS), the rotorcraft industry leader in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance engine inlet barrier filtration systems, has been purchased by QinetiQ (pronounced ki' ne tik), one of the world’s foremost science and technology companies. Earlier this month, Westar Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc. (Westar), the parent company of AFS, agreed to be acquired by QinetiQ. AFS will remain a wholly owned subsidiary of Westar, with its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, MO.

“AFS has grown quickly and consistently because we have been able to meet the ever-evolving needs of the rotorcraft industry and our customers,” said AFS President Mike Scimone. “QinetiQ has the depth of resources and technology necessary to help AFS continue to grow and lead the way in providing innovative solutions to our customers.”

Scimone said both AFS and QinetiQ are fully committed to maintaining AFS’s position of industry leadership in the design, development and production of engine inlet barrier filters for rotorcraft propulsion systems.

AFS’s desert- and combat-proven filtration systems increase aircraft performance and reduce operating costs compared to other filtration technologies available today. Bell Helicopter, Sikorsky, MD Helicopters, Inc., the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment utilize AFS products. AFS has delivered more than 1,000 filtration systems and 6,000 filter assemblies to military and commercial customers worldwide. Visit www.afsfilters.com for further information.

Westar has approximately 900 employees and approximately $140 million in annual revenue. Visit www.westar.com for further information.

QinetiQ is Europe's largest science and technology solutions company, employing more than 9,000 staff, including many of the UK's leading scientists and internationally acclaimed experts. Founded from the laboratories of the UK Ministry of Defense, QinetiQ operates in markets as diverse as information technology, telecommunications, electronics, marine, energy, automotive, rail, defense, space, health, oil & gas, and aerospace. QinetiQ's extensive facilities include indoor and outdoor ranges, wind tunnels, marine testing facilities, automotive test tracks, and climatic testing laboratories. QinetiQ’s impact on technology includes its pioneering research and development of many household technologies, including liquid crystal displays, carbon fiber, infra-red sensors and microwave radar.

Visit www.QinetiQ.com for further information.

# # #

For more information, contact:

Mike Scimone,
President
(636) 300-5288
scimone@afsfilters.com