Press Releases

CHINA LAKE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviators from the U.S. Marine Corps have completed their operational assessment of BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, scoring eight direct hits in eight shots in the past two weeks. Operational assessment gives Marine aviators the opportunity to "test drive" the system before it is deployed and confirms that the laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket will meet their needs in combat.

APKWS, developed by BAE Systems in partnership with the U.S. government, provides aviators with a highly precise weapon that is effective against soft and lightly armored targets while minimizing collateral damage -- important in urban areas and other situations in which non-combatants or friendly forces are near hostile targets.

In a series of shots fired during the weeks of Jan. 11 and 18, Marine AH-1W Cobra helicopters flying a variety of scenarios fired laser-guided APKWS rockets at targets typical of those encountered in theater. Live warheads were fitted to the APKWS guidance section, and in day and night tests, the guided rockets struck their laser-designated targets and detonated on impact.

"The APKWS operational assessment has demonstrated the system's effectiveness in a variety of scenarios involving various targets, platform speeds, ranges, and tactics," said Maj. Matt Sale, requirements officer for Marine Corps Aviation Weapons. "The system's reliability has been proven with its 19-for-19 performance in tests, exceeding requirements and expectations. We are confident that APKWS is the right-size weapon for many of our typical engagements and will be highly effective in allowing Marine aviators to prosecute targets."

The final step in the APKWS development program is system qualification against the envelope of environments in which it might be employed, transported, and stored. That testing is expected to be finalized in time to allow the Navy to complete a production decision within the next 60 days. From there, the system is expected to enter low-rate initial production.

"Any time I have the opportunity to talk to our men and women in uniform, I hear about the pressing need for the capability afforded by APKWS," said John Watkins, director of missiles and munitions for BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire. "This weapon will make a real difference in allowing U.S. warfighters to complete their missions and come home safely."

APKWS provides the military with a low-cost alternative to other air-launched munitions currently in inventory. The system transforms a standard 2.75-inch unguided rocket into a smart, highly precise laser-guided missile. Because it uses standard launchers, APKWS requires no platform integration or aircraft modifications, and because it is loaded and fired like a standard 2.75-inch rocket, it requires little additional aviator or ordnance crew training. The mid-body design of its guidance section enables use of existing warheads, fuzes, and rocket motors, enhancing the capability of existing inventory.

APKWS can be fired from any helicopter that can launch 2.75-inch rockets, including the AH-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, and AH-64 Apache. On Jan. 4, the U.S. Navy published its intent to ask BAE Systems to study the use of APKWS on fixed-wing platforms through a joint cooperative technology demonstration program with the U.S. Air Force.

The Navy assumed acquisition executive oversight of the program in 2008 and has fully funded it for production. BAE Systems has been the APKWS prime contractor since 2006.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is a premier global defense, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded 18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.

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    Source: BAE Systems

CLEVELAND, OH -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/09/10 -- NineSigma, the leading provider of open innovation solutions, announced they are partnering with Innovation 360 Institute, a leading innovation training consultancy, to deliver open innovation services to companies and government entities throughout the Middle East. NineSigma and Innovation 360 have formed the partnership to fill a growing need among organizations in the Middle East for systematic innovation methods that drive regional economic growth.

"The public and private sectors in the Middle East are hungry for new tools and capabilities that will enable them to fully leverage the global research and innovation community," said Kamal Hassan, President and CEO of Innovation 360. "NineSigma's innovation search methodology, intelligence offerings and extensive network of experienced innovators, combined with Innovation 360's systematic innovation model, will help organizations in the Middle East find new technologies and innovative ideas."

Innovation 360 offers a reliable and repeatable method for innovation that enables organizations to transform their culture, improve their offerings and business processes, and increase their return on innovation investment.

NineSigma has helped hundreds of companies reach beyond their traditional networks to find open innovation solutions to support their business development and sustainability goals. In addition to finding innovative solutions for its clients, NineSigma provides business and technology intelligence that support and validate the client's strategic business decisions.

"Open innovation has already been applied in many industries that are key to economic growth in the Middle East, such as oil and gas, clean and renewable energy, government services and healthcare," explained Matthew Heim, President of NineSigma. "Open innovation networks are an affordable and effective way to bolster internal R&D efforts."

"We are pleased to partner with Innovation 360 because of their unique approach to innovation and their deep industry knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing organizations in the Middle East," added Heim. "This partnership allows us to expand our presence further into the Middle East and introduce open innovation practices to companies and government entities actively looking to advance their innovation capabilities."

"I am confident that this partnership will provide a platform for our clients to truly transform their business and innovation processes," added Hassan.

To introduce the concept of open innovation and how it can be leveraged as part of a systematic innovation strategy, Innovation 360 and NineSigma will present several one-day workshops and networking events throughout the Middle East this spring.

About NineSigma

NineSigma helps Global 1000 companies Engage with the global innovation community and Enable their organizations to more effectively adopt external knowledge and resources. Companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Kraft, Philips, Unilever and Xerox utilize NineSigma's open innovation services to solve immediate challenges, fill product pipelines and integrate new knowledge and capabilities into their organizations. NineSigma has the largest open global network of solution providers and an extensive database of existing solutions that spans all industries and technical disciplines. The company has operations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Learn more about NineSigma at http://www.ninesigma.com/.

About Innovation 360

Innovation 360 Institute works with companies and government entities throughout the Middle East to bridge the gap between business strategy and execution by employing systematic innovation and leadership development. Our world class trainers, consultants and partners have extensive experience working in a wide array of industries including financial services, insurance, healthcare, tourism, manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities and construction. Our technology partners provide software enablers to help you design your strategy, and drive your innovation and excellence programs. Together, we help organizations define and reach their goals. Learn more about Innovation 360 at http://www.i360institute.com/about-us/.

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Media Contact:
Bronwyn Monroe
Email Contact
216-295-4822

HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited (the "Company") (NYSE: AHL) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its ordinary shares of US$0.15 per ordinary share. The dividend is payable on March 5, 2010 to the holders of record as of the close of trading on February 22, 2010.

The Company's Board of Directors also declared a cash dividend on its Perpetual Preferred Income Equity Replacement Securities ("Perpetual PIERS") of US$0.703125 per Perpetual PIER. The dividend is payable on April 1, 2010 to the holders of record as of the close of business on March 15, 2010.

The Company's Board of Directors declared a dividend on the 7.401% Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preference Shares ("Perpetual Preference Shares") of US$0.462563 per Perpetual Preference Share, payable on April 1, 2010 to the holders of record as of the close of business March 15, 2010.

About Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited

Aspen provides reinsurance and insurance coverage to clients in various domestic and global markets through wholly-owned subsidiaries and offices in Bermuda, France, Ireland, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, Aspen reported gross written premiums of $1,661.4 million, net income of $347.6 million and total assets of $8.2 billion. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A" ("Strong") by Standard & Poor's, an "A" ("Excellent") by A.M. Best and an "A2" ("Good") by Moody's Investors Service. For more information about Aspen, please visit www.aspen.bm.

    Source: Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/09/10 -- The Board of Directors of The Zweig Total Return Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ZTR) declared a distribution of $0.034 per share to shareholders of record on February 11, 2010, payable February 24, 2010. The Fund has a Managed Distribution Plan to pay 10 percent of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") on an annualized basis. The Board believes that regular, fixed cash payouts will enhance shareholder value and serve the long-term interests of shareholders.

The following is a required Section 19A notice:

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.

This notice discloses information on the sources of the distribution as required by SEC Rule 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Fund's SEC Exemptive Order under Section 19(b) as follows:

Distribution Estimates      February 2010 (MTD)  Year-to-date (YTD) (1)
                         Per Share  Percentage  Per Share  Percentage
                          Amount    of Current   Amount    of Current
       (Sources)                   Distribution           Distribution
Net Investment Income    $  0.003      9.7%     $  0.003        9.7%
Net Realized Short-Term
 Capital Gains                  -      0.0%            -        0.0%
Net Realized Long-Term
 Capital Gains                  -      0.0%            -        0.0%
Return of Capital
 (or other Capital
 Source)                    0.031     90.3%        0.031       90.3%
Total Distribution       $  0.034    100.0%     $  0.034      100.0%

(1) YTD February 1, 2010 to January 10, 2011. (The distribution paid on January 11, 2010 was reportable for tax on Form 1099 in 2009)

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

Information regarding the Fund's performance and distribution rates is set forth below. Please note that all performance figures are based on the Fund's NAV and not the market price of the Fund's shares. Performance figures are not meant to represent individual shareholder performance.

Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5-year
 period ended January 29, 2010 (2)                            4.36%
Current Fiscal YTD Annualized Distribution Rate (3)          10.12%
YTD Cumulative Total Return on NAV (4)                       (1.58%)
YTD Cumulative Distribution Rate (5)                          0.84%

(2) Average Annual Total Return on NAV is the annual compound return for the five year period. It reflects the change in the Fund's NAV and reinvestment of all distributions.

(3) Current Fiscal YTD Annualized Distribution Rate is the Cumulative Distribution Rate annualized as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of January 29, 2010.

(4) YTD Cumulative Total Return on NAV is the percentage change in the Fund's NAV from January 1, 2010 to January 29, 2010, including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of those distributions.

(5) YTD Cumulative Distribution Rate is the dollar value of distributions from January 1, 2010 to January 29, 2010 as a percentage of the Fund's NAV as of January 29, 2010.

The Zweig Total Return Fund, Inc. is a closed-end fund with an investment objective to seek the highest total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income, consistent with the preservation of capital. The Zweig closed-end funds are advised by Zweig Advisers LLC. For more information on the Fund, please contact Shareholder Services at 800.272.2700 or visit us on the web at www.virtus.com.

ZTR Cusip: 989837109 2/10

For Further Information:
Zweig Funds Shareholder Services
(800) 272-2700
Patricia Baronowski
The Altman Group
(212) 400-2604