L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS INC. /New York, New York "New' War Drives Demand For Supplier's Gear.(THE NEW AMERICA)

Byline: Marilyn Alva

Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. has snapped into alert.

The company makes the kind of gear that should fit in well with the new war against terrorism -- secured electronic communications systems for the military. That includes everything from signal intercept units to data links used in airborne sensors on unmanned reconnaissance planes.

"The real war going on is the war of intelligence and information," said L-3 Chief Executive Frank Lanza. "The military needs very secure equipment, and we build it."

L-3's new bomb-detection systems also stand to benefit from the government's stepped-up efforts to make airports safer. The Federal Aviation Administration has certified its three-dimensional …