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 August 2005
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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 August 4, 2005.
SIGNATURE
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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: August 4, 2005
EXHIBIT INDEX
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EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION
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1. Press release dated August 4, 2005.
EXHIBIT 1
[GRAPHIC OMITTED][GRAPHIC OMITTED]
ELBIT SYSTEMS GROUP, TO RECEIVE A CONTRACT VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY
(pound)300 MILLION FOR THE UK WATCHKEEPER
PROGRAMME, THROUGH ITS JV ESTABLISHED WITH THALES
Haifa, Israel, August 4 2005 - Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT) reported today
that the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Thales UK have signed a contract worth
(pound)700 million for the Development, Manufacture and Initial Support phases
of the WATCHKEEPER programme. Elbit Systems and Thales UK are establishing a
Joint Venture aimed at executing a significant part of the WATCHKEEPER programme
and addressing the rapidly growing UAV market worldwide.
The Elbit Systems Group expects to receive a significant part of the contract,
valued at around (pound)300 million, the majority being executed by the
Leicester-based Joint Venture. The Joint Venture's contract is expected to be
signed this year.
WATCHKEEPER will provide the UK armed forces with an essential Intelligence,
Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability based on
the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system Hermes 450 and will be a key component of
the UK's Network Enabled Capability (NEC).
This programme will deliver equipment, training and facilities, with the
capability coming into service from 2010.
WATCHKEEPER will provide the UK Armed Forces with all weather day and night
surveillance in times of war, tension or during peace-keeping operations without
the need to deploy troops into sensitive areas or harmful situations. The
WATCHKEEPER system can provide continuous 24/7 surveillance when needed, using
unmanned air vehicles able to stay airborne for more than 16 hours each.
The WATCHKEEPER system consists of the WK450 unmanned air vehicle carrying
day/night sensors and laser target designator connected by a data link to a
network of containerised Ground Control Stations where army operators will
control the whole mission and interface within a network enabled environment.
High resolution optical and radar imagery will be exploited and disseminated to
provide valuable intelligence for operational commanders. The system is capable
of rapid deployment and operations anywhere in the world. WATCHKEEPER will
support the information requirements of all three services and will be operated
by the Royal Artillery.
The President and CEO of Elbit Systems, Joseph Ackerman said: "We are proud to
take part in such a significant programme, led by Thales, which is one of the
most prestigious UAV programmes in the world. Thales' teaming with Elbit Systems
testifies to our advanced technological systems capabilities and substantiates
our positioning as one of the leaders in the UAV market". Mr. Ackerman expressed
his hope that the joint venture established by Elbit Systems and Thales to
execute the WATCHKEEPER programme will pave the way to obtaining more UAV
programmes in further markets in Europe and around the world.
ABOUT ELBIT SYSTEMS
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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, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), 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.
ABOUT THALES UK
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Thales UK's activities encompass defence, aerospace, security and services. The
company is the UK's second largest defence systems contractor and has been a
supplier to the MoD since the First World War. Thales employs 10,000 staff in
the UK and 60,000 people in 50 countries. In 2004, Thales UK's revenues were
(pound)1.1bn
CONTACTS
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Company contact IR Contacts
Ilan Pacholder, Corporate Secretary and Ehud Helft/Kenny Green
VP Finance & Capital Markets
Elbit Systems Ltd. GK International
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
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.