United Defense to Supply Add-on Armor for Army Stryker Under Contract Amendment Worth up to $90.6 Million

Contact:
Herb Muktarian
United Defense
herb.muktarian@baesystems.com
(717) 225-8004

Doug Coffey, Media
United Defense Industries, Inc.
doug.coffey@baesystems.com
(703) 312-6121

SANTA CLARA, CA, March 14, 2005 - United Defense Industries, Inc. (NYSE: UDI) will deliver Stryker Add-on Armor kits to the U.S. Army under a contract amendment awarded by General Dynamics Land Systems worth up to $90.6 million.

"The United Defense add-on reactive armor solution for Stryker will further enhance the survivability of the system, and we are proud to bring this increased capability to the soldier," said Elmer Doty, Vice President and General Manager of United Defense's Ground Systems Division. "United Defense has a proven history of developing survivability systems for our armed forces, from body armor for soldiers up to add-on armor and active protection systems that protect the entire vehicle."

This amendment, funded initially at $30 million, calls for 289 full-vehicle Add-on Armor (AOA) kits and miscellaneous spares to coincide with the delivery of the fourth brigade of Stryker vehicles to the Army. AOA deliveries begin in September, and conclude in October 2006. Production will be completed at United Defense facilities in Aiken, S.C., Fayette County, Pa. and York, Pa.

This award follows the initial contract in November 2002 to integrate and qualify add-on armor packages for Stryker and its variants. The United Defense AOA kit completed live fire testing and product qualification testing in 2004.

About United Defense
United Defense designs, develops and produces combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions used by the U.S. Department of Defense and allies worldwide, and provides non-nuclear ship repair, modernization and conversion to the U.S. Navy and other U.S. Government agencies. To learn more about United Defense, visit http://www.uniteddefense.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements
Information in this release may involve guidance, expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to United Defense Industries, Inc., as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences. Please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10 K for the year ended December 31, 2003 and in our other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a further discussion of the factors and risks associated with our business.