News Release

Merrimac Launches Zapper®

Low Cost Wireless Component Offers Superior Power Handling, Reliability and Design Flexibility for Base Station and Other Applications

WEST CALDWELL, N.J. June 8, 2004: Merrimac Industries, Inc. (AMEX: MRM), today introduced Multi-Mix Zapper® - its "next generation" of microwave components specially designed for use as direct drop-in replacements for conventional surface mount couplers and hybrids used in virtually all wireless base station designs. The Zapper Z-Series provides design flexibility that offers 45% higher power handling capability and twice the reliability of competitive products their size, but at a fraction of the cost.

The Zapper line of hybrids and couplers is designed for use in wireless base stations for dividing and combining signals before and after the signals are amplified and directed to the base station antenna. They also can be used in all types of combining networks, tower-mounted amplifiers, and many other defense and commercial applications. The lower insertion loss and improved heat transfer characteristics allows the amplifier to run more efficiently, improving the overall reliability of the system.

The benefits of the Zapper line of devices includes:

• RF power handling ability of 325 Watts CW, which is more than 100 Watts higher than any competitor.
• Better Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity which results in lower operating temperatures and longer life.
• A Failure In Time (FIT) rating of 0.27, which translates into only 0.27 failures over 1 billion hours of operation - half the failure rate of any competitor.
• Insertion loss and phase balance equal to or better than any competitor.
• Exceptional repeatability thanks to the inherent characteristics of the Multi-Mix® process upon which they are based.

Mason N. Carter, Chairman and CEO commented, "Reliability is a key concern of every system designer. The Zapper products provide unparalleled reliability and margin of safety, even when handling high power levels. Zapper is a direct drop-in replacement for industry standard size components. We provide high power handling without a cost penalty and without consuming valuable board space."

Reliability Is Key

The long-term reliability of a component is determined in part by the temperature at which it operates. A component's case temperature increases directly with increasing RF power levels, until the component reaches the point at which it fails. The lower the temperature, the greater its reliability. In some cases, a decrease of 10^o C in case temperature can double the component's operating life and halve its failure rate. These devices have very low insertion loss and are able to conservatively handle 325 Watts CW. Zapper reliability can easily handle sudden high peak power levels, providing a reassuring margin of safety.

The Multi-Mix process employed to fabricate the Zapper components is a patented technique that produces micro-multifunction modules (MMFM®) that are extremely small, measuring 0.56 wide x 0.35 in. long x 0.075 inches high, and can be fixed on the circuit board with automated manufacturing equipment. They are housed in the industry-standard "H" package, and are available in frequency ranges that cover all major commercial, industrial, and aerospace/military applications up to 2.3 GHz.

The Zapper quad hybrids and couplers are currently available in production quantities. For more information visit http://www.merrimacind.com

About Merrimac

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Merrimac Industries, Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture of Multi-Mix PICO™ RF Microwave components, assemblies and micro-multifunction modules (MMFM), serving the wireless telecommunications industry worldwide with enabling technologies for space, defense and commercial applications. Merrimac is focused on providing Total Integrated Packaging Solutions® with Multi-Mix® Microtechnology, a leading edge competency providing value to our customers through miniaturization and integration. The Multi-Mix® process for microwave, multilayer integrated MMFM circuitry is a patented method developed by Merrimac Industries based on fluoropolymer composite substrates. The fusion bonding of multilayer structures provides a homogeneous dielectric medium that can integrate both active and passive functional elements for superior electrical performance at microwave frequencies. The bonded layers may incorporate embedded semiconductor devices, MMICs, etched resistors, passive circuit elements and plated-through via holes to form a three-dimensional subsystem enclosure that requires no further packaging. Merrimac Industries facilities are registered under ISO 9000, an internationally developed set of quality criteria for manufacturing operations.

Merrimac Industries, Inc. and its subsidiary Filtran Microcircuits Inc., are located in West Caldwell, NJ, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and have approximately 240 co-workers dedicated to the design and manufacture of signal processing components, gold plating of high-frequency microstrip, bonded stripline and thick metal-backed Teflon (PTFE) micro-circuitry and subsystems providing Total Integrated Packaging Solutions® for wireless applications. Merrimac (MRM) is listed on the American Stock Exchange. Multi-Mix®, Multi-Mix PICO™, MMFM® and Total Integrated Packaging Solutions® are trademarks of Merrimac Industries, Inc. For more information about Merrimac Industries, Inc. and Filtran Microcircuits Inc., please visit http://www.merrimacind.com and http://www.filtranmicro.com.

This press release contains statements relating to future results of the Company (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks associated with demand for and market acceptance of existing and newly developed products as to which the Company has made significant investments, particularly its Multi-Mix® products; general economic and industry conditions; slower than anticipated penetration into the satellite communications, defense and wireless markets; the risk that the benefits expected from the acquisition of Filtran Microcircuits Inc. are not realized; the ability to protect proprietary information and technology; competitive products and pricing pressures; risks relating to governmental regulatory actions in communications and defense programs; and inventory risks due to technological innovation and product obsolescence, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:

Mason N. Carter, Chairman & CEO
973.575.1300, ext. 1202
E-mail: mnc@merrimacind.com