FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CIV
MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1995                              (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                 
    LANDMINE MANUFACTURER WILL PAY U.S. $12 MILLION TO SETTLE
     ALLEGATIONS IT SUBMITTED FALSE CLAIMS TO THE GOVERNMENT


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Alliant TechSystems Inc. and its 
Accudyne operations at Janesville, Wisconsin, will pay the United
States $12 million and forgo multimillion dollar administrative
claims to settle a civil suit alleging Accudyne failed to
properly test landmines under a military contract, the Department
of Justice announced today.  Alliant purchased Accudyne
Corporation October 8, 1993.
     Frank W. Hunger, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil
Division, said the settlement was reached on the eve of a trial
scheduled to begin Monday morning in U.S. District Court in
Madison, Wisconsin.  
     According to the government's complaint, Accudyne submitted
false claims under an Army contract to manufacture electronic
control devices for remote-controlled landmines known as the
Modular Pack Mine System.  Accudyne's devices were the "brains"
that allowed the mines to be detonated and otherwise controlled
by remote control.  
     The United States alleged that Accudyne failed to test the
devices properly, used unapproved subcomponents, violated
required quality standards and delivered defective units.
      "This settlement demonstrates the Administration's resolve
to insure that contractors who produce critical military hardware
comply with contract specifications or suffer the consequences," 
Hunger said.  
     Hunger said the settlement resulted from close cooperation
between the Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's office in
Madison.  
     The suit was originally filed in Wisconsin as a qui tam 
action under the False Claims Act by a number of whistleblowers,
including several former Accudyne employees.  The False Claims
Act permits a private party to file a suit on behalf of the
government and share in the damages if the government takes over
the suit and the prosecution is successful.
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95-360