General Dynamics Canada to Evaluate OLEDs in
Land/Military Applications Under USDC Contract

SAN JOSE , Calif, June 23, 2005 – The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC), headquartered in San Jose, has awarded a $400,000 cost-shared contract to General Dynamics Canada ( Ottawa, Ontario) to evaluate and demonstrate state-of-the-art, organic, light emitting diode display (OLED) technology for the joint U.S. Army and Marine Corps TAD Mortar Fire Control System. The purpose of the USDC contract is to acquire OLEDs, characterize their performance with laboratory tests, construct and test evaluation units and conduct field trials, and evaluate their suitability for integration into military applications. The USDC is a public/private partnership chartered with developing the flat panel display (FPD) industry supply chain.

While OLEDs offer enormous promise for advantageous performance in many different military applications such as the gunner’s display in the Towed Artillery Digitization program, the technology has limited field data or previous experience on which to base new equipment designs. General Dynamics Canada will provide a detailed report describing test data and the conclusions drawn. This project will identify the readiness of current OLED technology for near-term inclusion in new military equipment to ensure military users get the best available display solutions. The findings of this project will be shared with all military integrators within the USDC to considerably reduce risk in subsequent military applications for OLED based equipment.

General Dynamics Canada, which will package the OLED device and apply military environment tests, will work with the following partners:

General Dynamics Canada and its partners will match funding provided by USDC under this agreement. The USDC program is a collaborative effort of private industry and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory located in Adelphi, Md.

The USDC is an industry-led public/private partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display manufacturers and developers, FPD users, and the supplier base. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the consortium’s primary mission is to fund supply-chain projects and share the results with USDC member companies. The USDC also provides a communication channel among industry, government and financial communities for display issues; sponsors workshops to broaden the impact of technological developments; and educates consumers on the importance of displays in providing access to information technology. More information can be found at www.usdc.org.

General Dynamics Canada is a world leader in militarized flat panel displays. Applications include armoured vehicles, reconnai-ssance aircraft, ships, submarines and flight line test equipment. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.

Contact:

Heidi Hoffman
USDC
408.993.8111
heidi@usdc.org

About the U.S. Display Consortium
The U.S. Display Consortium is an industry-led public/private partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display and flexible microelectronics manufacturers and developers, FPD users, and the supplier base. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the consortium’s primary mission is to fund supply-chain projects and share the results with USDC member companies. The USDC also provides a communication channel among industry, government and the financial communities for display issues; sponsors workshops to broaden the impact of technological developments; and educates consumers on the importance of displays in providing access to information technology. More information about the USDC can be found at www.usdc.org