SECOND AMENDMENT TO STOCKHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS AGREEMENT This Second Amendment to the Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement, dated as of September 26, 1994, between Avondale Industries, Inc., a Louisiana corporation (the "Company"), and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, LLC (successor to Boatmen's Trust Company, a Missouri corporation), as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent") as amended by the First Amendment thereto (the "First Amendment") dated January 19, 1999 (as amended, the "Rights Agreement"), is dated and effective as of June 3, 1999. W I T N E S S E T H: WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have heretofore entered into the Rights Agreement, and pursuant to Section 5.4 of the Rights Agreement, the Company and the Rights Agent may amend or supplement the Rights Agreement in any respect without the approval of any holders of Rights prior to the close of business on the Flip-in Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement); and whereas a Flip-in Date has not occurred; WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make this Amendment a valid agreement according to its terms have been done and performed, and the execution and delivery of this Amendment by the Company and the Rights Agent have been in all respects authorized by the Company and the Rights Agent. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements set forth in the Rights Agreement and this Amendment, the parties hereby agree as follows: 1. The Rights Agreement is hereby amended by replacing all references to "Newport News Shipbuilding, Inc." and "Newport News" included in the definition of "Acquiring Person" in Section 1.1 with "Litton Industries, Inc." and "Litton," respectively, so that the last sentence of the definition of "Acquiring Person" in Section 1.1 shall hereafter read: Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the term "Acquiring Person" shall not include Litton Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or its Subsidiaries, Affiliates or Associates (hereinafter, collectively, "Litton") as a result of the approval, execution, delivery, performance, exercise of rights pursuant to, amendment or consummation of any transaction contemplated by (i) the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of the date of this Amendment by and among the Company and Litton, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Acquisition Agreement") or (ii) the Company Stock Option Agreement dated as of the date of this Amendment by and among the Company and Litton, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Option Agreement"). 2. The Rights Agreement is hereby further amended by replacing all references to "Newport News" included in the definition of the terms "Beneficial Owner," "Beneficial Ownership," and "Beneficially Own" in Section 1.1 with "Litton," so that the last sentence of the definition of the terms "Beneficial Owner," "Beneficial Ownership" and "Beneficially Own" in Section 1.1 shall hereafter read: Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Owner, Beneficial Ownership, and Beneficially Own to the contrary, Litton shall not be deemed to be the Beneficial Owner of, nor to have Beneficial Ownership of, nor to Beneficially Own, any of the Common Stock of the Company by reason of the approval, execution, delivery, performance, exercise of rights pursuant to, amendment or consummation of any transaction contemplated by (i) the Acquisition Agreement or (ii) the Option Agreement. 3. The parties acknowledge that pursuant to the First Amendment, the Rights Agreement has been amended to add the following clause to the end of the definition of "Expiration Time" in Section 1.1: and (v) immediately prior to the Effective Time, as defined in the Acquisition Agreement. 4. The parties further acknowledge that, pursuant to the First Amendment, the Rights Agreement has been amended to add the following sentence to the end of Section 4.3(c) thereof: "Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage." 5. The Rights Agreement is hereby further amended by deleting all references to the "Newport News Transaction" and "Newport News" in Section 5.19 and by replacing such references with the "Litton Transaction" and "Litton," respectively, so that section 5.19 shall hereafter read in its entirety: Section 5.19. LITTON TRANSACTION. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the approval, execution, delivery, performance, exercise of rights pursuant to, amendment or consummation of any transaction contemplated by the Acquisition Agreement or the Option Agreement shall not cause (i) Litton to become an Acquiring Person, (ii) a Stock Acquisition Date to occur, (iii) a Flip-in Date to occur, (iv) a Flip-over Transaction or Event to occur, or (v) the Separation Time to occur. 6. This Amendment to the Rights Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Louisiana. 7. This Amendment to the Rights Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. 8. Except as expressly set forth herein, this Amendment to the Rights Agreement shall not by implication or otherwise alter, modify, amend or in any way affect any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Rights Agreement, all of which are ratified and affirmed in all respects and shall continue in full force and effect. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to the Rights Agreement to be duly executed on and as of the day and year first above written. Attest: AVONDALE INDUSTRIES, INC. By: /S/ E.K. SIMON, JR. By: /S/ THOMAS M. KITCHEN Name: E.K. Simon, Jr. Name: Thomas M. Kitchen Title: V.P. Finance Title: Chief Financial Officer Attest: CHASEMELLON SHAREHOLDER SERVICES, LLC By: /S/ JANE A. MARTEN By: /S/ H. EUGENE BRADFORD Name: Jane A. Marten Name: H. Eugene Bradford Title: Assistant Vice Title: Vice President President