SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the Month of March 2004
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ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD.
(Translation of Registrant's Name into English)
Advanced Technology Center, P.O.B. 539, Haifa 31053, Israel
(Address of Principal Corporate Offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
[X] Form 20-F [ ] Form 40-F
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [ ]
NOTE: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a
Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security
holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [ ]
NOTE: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a
Form 6-K submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant
foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the
jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally
organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home
country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the
report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has
not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a
material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other
Commission filing on EDGAR.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
[ ] Yes [X] No
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-______________
Attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by reference is
the Registrant's press release dated March 9, 2004.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD.
(Registrant)
By: /s/ Ilan Pacholder
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Name: Ilan Pacholder
Title: Corporate Secretary
Dated: March 9, 2004
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION
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1. Press release dated March 9, 2004.
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EXHIBIT 1
ELBIT SYSTEMS AND SCIAUTONICS TEAM UP FOR DARPA
GRAND CHALLENGE ROBOTIC GROUND VEHICLE RACE
HAIFA, ISRAEL, MARCH 9, 2004 - ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD. (NASDAQ: ESLT) today announced
that it has teamed up with SciAutonics LLC to participate in the DARPA (The U.S.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge, an autonomous
robotic ground vehicle race, which will be held in response to DARPA'S call for
expanded technological capability in ground vehicles. The Grand challenge race
will take place along a 250-mile route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas on
March 13, 2004.
The Elbit Systems- SciAutonics team intends to meet the challenge presented by
DARPA in quest of innovation in development of autonomous ground vehicle
technology, as the next step for advancement in future defense systems. The
Elbit Systems- SciAutonics vehicle, AVIDOR-2004 (Autonomous Vehicle In Deserts &
On Roads), will be required to complete a course of on-road and off-road terrain
in less than ten hours. Three thousand waypoints to be followed along the route
will be announced two hours before the start of the race.
The Elbit Systems- SciAutonics team is one of 25 teams who qualified to
participate in the race after having successfully completed DARPA's tests, out
of more than 106 contestants who applied. SciAutonics LLC and Elbit Systems Ltd.
have assembled a team of expert engineers and scientists, all contributing their
diverse talents and skills to meet the DARPA challenge.
The Elbit Systems-SciAutonics vehicle, AVIDOR-2004, uses the platform of the
Tomcar Ltd. of Israel, a tough and proven off-road vehicle that has been
extensively modified to meet the Grand Challenge requirements. The AVIDOR-2004
uses a complete ground and aerial mapping system based on GIS (Geographical
Information Systems) technology, as well as DGPS and INS for way point tracking.
Additional features include operating actuators and servos for autonomous
shifting, steering, acceleration and braking. The vehicle is equipped with
multi-layered suite of sensors including video, LIDAR (Laser Imaging Direction
And Range), ultrasound, and RADAR for obstacle detection and road
identification. The specially developed "behavioral" software incorporated in
the Mission Computer (MC), which is at the heart of the autonomous vehicle, will
detect and avoid various types of obstacles, enabling real-time decision and
course corrections as necessary.
Elbit Systems-SciAutonics team leader, Paul Gunthner, stated: "The combination
of Elbit Systems and SciAutonics is a great advancement in quality autonomous
vehicle technology. We see our new, proven and superior software as the key to
making a run at the Brass Ring. We plan to use our resources and talent in order
to meet the DARPA challenge."
Nachman Levinger, Manager of Land Platform Programs at Elbit Systems, commented:
"The Elbit Systems-SciAutonics team has experts in the key critical areas
necessary to achieve the challenging task of building and equipping a vehicle
capable of driving itself through incredibly
rough terrain. With this first-rate combination of people and resources,
SciAutonics and Elbit Systems will be at the forefront of what promises to be a
significant achievement in the area of autonomous ground vehicles."
About SciAutonics
SciAutonics LLC was formed in May 2003 by employees of the Thousand Oaks based
Rockwell Scientific Company (RSC) and external consultants for the main purpose
of participating in DARPA's Grand Challenge by creating, developing, and racing
a superior autonomous ground vehicle. The company is composed of scientists,
engineers, and consultants of various backgrounds, all with a desire to meet the
challenge put forth by DARPA with creativity and ingenuity.
ABOUT ELBIT SYSTEMS
Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international defense electronics company engaged in a
wide range of defense-related programs throughout the world, in the areas of
aerospace, ground and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers
and intelligence (C4I), advanced electro-optic and space technologies. The
Company focuses on the upgrading of existing military platforms and developing
new technologies for defense and homeland security applications.
For more information about Elbit Systems Ltd. visit our website at
www.elbitsystems.com.
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Contacts:
Company contact IR Contacts
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Ilan Pacholder, VP Finance Ehud Helft/Kenny Green
Elbit Systems Ltd Gelbart Kahana
Tel: 972-4 831-6632 Tel: 1-866-704-6710
Fax: 972-4 831-6659 Fax: 972-3-607-4711
Pacholder@elbit.co.il ehud@gk-biz.com
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kenny@ gk-biz.com
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STATEMENTS IN THIS PRESS RELEASE WHICH ARE NOT HISTORICAL DATA ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WHICH INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS,
UNCERTAINTIES OR OTHER FACTORS NOT UNDER THE COMPANY'S CONTROL, WHICH
MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMPANY TO
BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR OTHER
EXPECTATIONS IMPLIED BY THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE FACTORS
INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THOSE DETAILED IN THE COMPANY'S
PERIODIC FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.