Edgar Filing: KAMAN Corp

Document

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________________

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

_________________________



Filed by the Registrant	x
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant	o

Check the appropriate box:



o	Preliminary Proxy Statement
o	Confidential, For Use of the Commission Only (as Permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
x	Definitive Proxy Statement
o	Definitive Additional Materials
o	Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-11(c) or §240.14a-12

KAMAN CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

_______________________________________________

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):



x	No fee required.
o	Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
	(1)	Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(2)	Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(3)	Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(4)	Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
	(5)	Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:



o	Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
o	Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the form or schedule and the date of its filing.



	(1)	Amount Previously Paid:
	(2)	Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
	(3)	Filing Party:
	(4)	Date Filed:

Notice of Annual Meeting and

Proxy Statement

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

To be held on April 18, 2018

1332 BLUE HILLS AVENUE

BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT 06002

NEAL J. KEATING

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PRESIDENT AND

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

March 2, 2018

To Our Shareholders:

I would like to extend a personal invitation for you to join us at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., local time, at the corporate headquarters of the Company located at 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut. The meeting will be held in the cafeteria located in Building 19 on our Bloomfield campus. Appropriate signage will be in place directing you to the cafeteria the day of the meeting.

At this year’s meeting, you will be asked to (i) elect three Class I directors; (ii) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers; (iii) approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's 2013 Management Incentive Plan; (iv) approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan; (v) ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent auditors; (vi) consider a shareholder proposal seeking to elect directors by majority voting; (vii) consider a shareholder proposal seeking to eliminate all supermajority voting provisions set forth in the Company's charter and bylaws; and (viii) consider a shareholder proposal requesting the Board of Directors and management to effectuate a tax-deferred spin-off of either the Company's Distribution business or its Aerospace business. We will also discuss the financial performance of the Company during 2017.

Last year, we were fortunate to have approximately 93% of the Company's outstanding shares represented at the meeting. We hope to have a similar turnout this year. You can vote your shares via the Internet or by using a toll-free telephone number. Instructions for using these convenient services appear in the Proxy Statement. If you are receiving a hard copy of the proxy materials, you can also vote your shares by marking your votes on the proxy card, signing and dating it and mailing it promptly using the envelope provided.

Your voice is important to us, and we encourage you to attend the meeting in person. If you are unable to attend, we urge you to vote your shares.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, we thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Sincerely,

Neal J. Keating

Chairman of the Board, President and

Chief Executive Officer

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD

April 18, 2018

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Kaman Corporation will be held at the corporate headquarters of the Company located at 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut, on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:


1.	To elect three Class I directors;


2.	To conduct an advisory vote to approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers;


3.	To approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's 2013 Management Incentive Plan;


4.	To approve the amendment and restatement of the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan;


5.	To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm;


6.	To consider a shareholder proposal seeking to elect directors by majority voting;


7.	To consider a shareholder proposal seeking to eliminate all supermajority voting provisions set forth in the Company's charter and bylaws;


8.	To consider a shareholder proposal requesting the Board of Directors and management to effectuate a tax-deferred spin-off of either the Company's Distribution business or its Aerospace business; and


9.	To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

The close of business on February 9, 2018, has been fixed as the record date for determining the holders of Common Stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

In connection with the Annual Meeting, we have prepared a meeting notice, a proxy statement and our annual report to shareholders, all of which provide important information that our shareholders will want to review before the Annual Meeting. On March 2, 2018, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instructing our shareholders how to access these materials online and how to submit proxies by telephone or the Internet. We use this online access format because it expedites the delivery of materials, reduces printing and postage costs and eliminates bulky paper documents from your files, creating a more efficient process for both shareholders and the Company.

If you receive the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of these materials unless you specifically request one. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials contains instructions on how to obtain a paper copy of the materials. If you receive paper copies of the materials, a proxy card will also be enclosed.

You may vote using the Internet, telephone or mail, or by attending the meeting and voting in person. If you plan to attend in person, you will need to provide proof of share ownership, such as an account or brokerage statement, and a form of personal identification in order to vote your shares.

All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting.



Date:	March 2, 2018	BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

		Richard S. Smith, Jr.
		Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Secretary

____________________________

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON APRIL 18, 2018: This Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and the Company's Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2017, are available free of charge on our website at www.kaman.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS



Caption	Page	Caption	Page

Proxy Statement Summary	(i)	Employment and Change in Control Arrangements	35
General Information	1	Stock Ownership Guidelines	35
Information About Voting at the Annual Meeting	1	Risk Assessment of Compensation Practices	36
Voting Rights and Outstanding Shares	1	Short Sales, Hedging and Pledging	36
Submitting Your Proxy	1	Material Tax and Accounting Implications	36
How to Submit Your Proxy if you are a "Beneficial Owner"	1	Context of This Discussion	37
How Your Proxy Will be Voted	2	Personnel & Compensation Committee Report	37
How to Revoke Your Proxy	2	Summary Compensation Table	38
Quorum and Voting Requirements	2	Employment and Change in Control Agreements	39
Broker Non-Votes and Abstentions	2	Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2017 Fiscal Year	40
Board Voting Recommendations	3	Outstanding Equity Awards at 2017 Fiscal Year-End	41
Voting Results	3	Option Exercises and Stock Vested in Fiscal Year 2017	42
Majority Voting Policy	3	Pension Benefits	43
Solicitation Costs	3	Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan	44
Householding of Proxies	4	Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans	45
Annual Report	4	Post-Termination Payments and Benefits	45
Proposal 1 - Election of Three Class I Directors for Three-Year Terms	4	Employment Agreements	45
Background	4	Change in Control Agreements	47
Board Recommendation	4	Equity Incentive Plans	48
Required Vote	4	Annual Cash Incentive Plans	48
Information about Nominees and Continuing Directors	5	Coordination of Benefits	48
Information about the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance	8	Steiner Retirement Agreement	49
Board Leadership Structure	8	Assumptions Relating to Post-Termination Benefit Table	49
Board Meetings and Committees	8	Coordination with Other Tables	50
Director Nominees	10	Post-Termination Benefits Table	51
The Board's Role in Oversight of the Company's Risk Management Process	11	2017 Pay Ratio Disclosure	53
Board and Committee Independence Requirements	12	Proposal 2 - Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation	54
Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills of Current Board Members and Director Nominees	12	Proposal 3 - Amendment and Restatement of 2013 Management Incentive Plan	55
Other Information about the Board's Structure and Composition	13	Proposal 4 - Amendment and Restatement of ESPP	61
2017 Director Compensation	13	Proposal 5 - Ratification of Appointment of PwC	64
Code of Business Conduct and Other Governance Documents Available on the Company's Website	14	Background	64
Communications with the Board	15	Board Recommendation	64
Director Education	15	Required Vote	64
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance	15	Principal Accounting Fees and Services	65
Related Party Transactions	15	Audit Committee Preapproval Policy	65
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management	16	Audit Committee Report	66
Stock Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers	16	Proposal 6 - Shareholder Proposal to Elect Directors by Majority Voting	67
Beneficial Owners of More Than 5% of Common Stock	17	Proposal 7 - Shareholder Proposal to Eliminate Supermajority Voting Provisions	69
Compensation Discussion and Analysis	18	Proposal 8 - Shareholder Proposal to effectuate a Spin-Off	72
Introduction	18	Shareholder Proposals for 2019 Annual Meeting	73
2017 Compensation Initiatives	18	Annex I – Data Used by Compensation Consultant	I-1
Kaman's Compensation and Benefits Best Practices	20	Exhibit A - Amended and Restated MIP	A-1
Recent Say-on-Pay Voting Results	21	Exhibit B - Amended and Restated ESPP	B-1
Our Compensation Philosophy and Objectives	21
Our Compensation Program	22
How the Program Works in Practice	23
2017 Compensation for our NEOs	24

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Date, Time and Place of Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting is being held at 9:00 a.m., local time, on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at the corporate headquarters of the Company located at 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut. The meeting will be held in the cafeteria located in Building 19 on our Bloomfield campus. Appropriate signage will be in place directing you to the cafeteria the day of the meeting.

Availability of Proxy Materials

Your proxy is being solicited for use at the Annual Meeting on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company. On March 2, 2018, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to all shareholders of record as of February 9, 2018, the record date for the Meeting, advising that they could view all of the proxy materials online at www.envisionreports.com/KAMN, or request a paper copy of the proxy materials free of charge. You may request a paper or email copy of the materials using any of the following methods:



:	By Internet: Go to www.envisionreports.com/KAMN. Click "Cast Your Vote or Request Materials" and follow the instructions to log in and order a paper copy of the Meeting materials.
(	By Phone: Call 1-866-641-4276 toll-free and follow the instructions to log in and order a paper copy of the Meeting materials.
*	By Email: Send an email to investorvote@computershare.com with "Proxy Materials Kaman Corporation" in the subject line. Include in the message your full name and address, and state that you want a paper copy of the Meeting materials.

All requests must include the control number set forth in the shaded area of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. To facilitate timely delivery, all requests must be received by April 9, 2018.

Eligibility to Vote

You can vote if you held shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of the close of business on February 9, 2018. Each share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote. As of February 9, 2018, there were 27,791,851 shares of Common Stock outstanding and eligible to vote.

How to Vote

You may vote by using any of the following methods:



:	By Internet: Go to www.envisionreports.com/KAMN. Have your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or proxy card in hand when you go to the website.
(	By Phone: Call 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) toll-free. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.
+	By Mail: If you requested a paper copy of the proxy materials, complete, sign and return your proxy card in the prepaid envelope.
ó	In Person: Attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person.

Revocation of Proxy

You may revoke your proxy at any time prior to its being counted at the Annual Meeting by:


ü	casting a new vote using the Internet or by telephone;


ü	giving written notice to the Company’s Corporate Secretary or submitting a written proxy bearing a later date prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting; or


ü	attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

(i)

Meeting Agenda and Voting Recommendations



Proposal	Matter	Board Recommendation	Page Reference
1.	Election of Three Class I Directors for Three-Year Terms	"FOR" EACH NOMINEE	4
2.	Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation	"FOR"	54
3.	Amendment and Restatement of 2013 Management Incentive Plan	"FOR"	55
4.	Amendment and Restatement of Employee Stock Purchase Plan	"FOR"	61
5.	Ratification of Appointment of PwC	"FOR"	64
6.	Shareholder Proposal to Elect Directors by Majority Voting	"AGAINST"	67
7.	Shareholder Proposal to Eliminate Supermajority Voting Provisions	"AGAINST"	69
8.	Shareholder Proposal to Effectuate a Spin-off	"AGAINST"	72

Our Board of Directors



							Committee Memberships
Name		Age	Director Since	Occupation	Independent	Other Public Company Boards	A	CG	F	P&C
Class I Director Nominees for Election at the 2018 Annual Meeting:
	E. Reeves Callaway III	70	1995	President & CEO The Callaway Companies	Yes	0			M	M
	Karen M. Garrison	69	2006	Former President Pitney Bowes Business Services	Yes	2		C	M
	A. William Higgins	59	2009	Former President & CEO CIRCOR International	Yes	2		M	C
Class II Directors Whose Terms Expire in 2019:
	Neal J. Keating	62	2007	Chairman, President & CEO Kaman Corporation	No	1
	Scott E. Kuechle	58	2013	Former Chief Financial Officer Goodrich Corporation	Yes	2	C	M
	Jennifer M. Pollino	53	2015	Executive Coach and Consultant & Former EVP, HR and Communications, Goodrich Corporation	Yes	2	M			M
	Richard J. Swift	73	2002	Former Chairman, President and CEO Foster Wheeler Ltd.	Yes	4		M		C
	Class III Director Whose Terms Expire in 2020:
	Brian E. Barents	74	1996	Executive Chairman and CEO of Aerion Corporation, Former President and CEO Galaxy Aerospace Co. and Learjet	Yes	1			M	M
	George E. Minnich	68	2009	Former Senior Vice President and CFO ITT Corporation	Yes	2	M			M
	Thomas W. Rabaut	69	2008	Operating Executive The Carlyle Group	Yes	1	M		M

A = Audit Committee; CG = Corporate Governance Committee; F = Finance Committee; P&C = Personnel & Compensation Committee. M = Member; C = Chair.

(ii)

Corporate Governance Practices

As part of Kaman's commitment to high ethical standards, our Board follows sound governance practices, including the following:



Corporate Governance Practices
ü	Comprehensive Code of Conduct and Corporate Governance Principles	ü	The Board regularly assesses its performance through annual Board and committee self-evaluations
ü	Robust majority voting policy	ü	All directors attended at least 75% of 2017 meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served
ü	Director mandatory retirement policy	ü	Stock ownership guidelines for directors and executive officers
ü	No shareholder rights plan or "poison pill"	ü	Policy prohibiting hedging, pledging and short selling of our stock
ü	All but one of the directors are independent; and all committees consist solely of independent directors	ü	Compensation "clawback" provisions in CEO/CFO employment agreements
ü	Lead Independent Director	ü	Strong pay-for-performance philosophy
ü	Regular executive sessions of independent directors	ü	Board participation in executive succession planning

2017 Compensation Initiatives and Highlights

Set forth below is a brief description of some of the most significant actions or events taken during 2017 or otherwise affecting the determination of the 2017 compensation of our executive officers included in the Summary Compensation Table herein (our "Named Executive Officers" or "NEOs") and other members of our senior leadership team:



Reassessed Annual and Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans	We reassessed the Company's annual and long-term incentive compensation programs and approved certain modifications that are reflected in the 2018 incentive compensation awards granted to our Named Executive Officers.
Increased the Emphasis on TSR	We increased the emphasis of total shareholder return ("TSR") in the financial metrics relating to the long-term incentive program ("LTIP") awards granted to our executive officers, including our Named Executive Officers.
Continued to Incorporate Sub-Limits on LTIP Award Payouts	We continued to incorporate an additional sub-limit of 150% on the payouts that may be made in respect of any particular performance measure if the Company's adjusted performance for such measure is less than zero.
Listened to Shareholders 2017 Say-on-Pay Vote	We discussed the results of the voting at the 2017 Annual Meeting with respect to the annual say-on-pay vote and considered the compensation-related aspects of the proxy advisory reports issued by Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") and Glass Lewis.
Listened to Shareholders 2017 Say-on-Frequency Vote	We considered the results of the voting at the 2017 Annual Meeting with respect to the frequency of future say-on-pay votes, and we determined to continue the practice of holding an annual advisory vote on the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers.
Oversaw Compliance with New CEO Pay Ratio Rules	We oversaw the Company’s compliance with the new CEO pay ratio rules, and we considered the Company’s resulting 2017 CEO pay ratio.
Amended and Restated the MIP and the ESPP	We approved the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Management Incentive Plan and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Continued to Defer Base Salary Adjustments	We continued the practice of deferring the annual base salary adjustments for our senior executives from January 1 to July 1.

(iii)

Key Governance Features of Our Executive Compensation Program

The following summary of specific features of our executive compensation program highlights our commitment to executive compensation practices that align the interests of our executives and shareholders:



What We Do:		What We Don't Do:
ü	Independent Compensation Consultant – The Personnel & Compensation Committee retains its own independent compensation consultant.	û	No Excessive Perquisites – We provide minimal perquisites to our NEOs.
ü	Pay for Performance – A significant portion of the compensation paid to our NEOs is in the form of at-risk variable compensation.	û	No Hedging – Directors and NEOs are prohibited from engaging in hedging activities with respect to their shares of Company stock.
ü	Multiple Performance Metrics – Variable compensation is based on more than one measure to encourage balanced incentives.	û	No Pledging – Directors and NEOs are prohibited from pledging their shares of Company stock.
ü	"Clawback" Provisions – Our CEO/CFO employment agreements provide for the recovery of compensation in the event of a mandatory restatement.	û	No Excise Tax Gross-ups – The employment and change in control agreements with our NEOs do not include any excise tax gross-up provisions.
ü	Award Caps – All of our variable compensation plans have caps on plan formulas.	û	No Re-Pricing of Underwater Stock Options – Our equity plans prohibit the re-pricing of underwater stock options.
ü	"Double Trigger" Vesting – All change in control agreements with our NEOs contain "double trigger" vesting provisions.	û	Limited Use of Time-Vested Restricted Stock – NEOs generally do not receive time-vested restricted stock.
ü	Independent Committees – The Personnel & Compensation Committee, like all of our Board committees, is comprised solely of independent Directors.	û	No Further Accrual of Defined Benefit Pensions – We ceased further accrual of benefits under our qualified defined benefit pension plan and our supplemental employees' retirement plan.

ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING.

EVEN IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, PLEASE VOTE YOUR SHARES.

(iv)

PROXY STATEMENT

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

KAMAN CORPORATION

__________

APRIL 18, 2018

__________

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Board of Directors (the "Board" or "board") of Kaman Corporation (the "Company" or "company") is soliciting proxies for use in connection with our annual meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting" or "Annual Meeting") to be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 (or at any adjournments or postponements thereof), at the time, place and for the purposes described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, dated March 2, 2018. We will conduct business at the Meeting only if shares representing a majority of all outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote are either present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting. We believe that the only matters to be brought before the Meeting are those referenced in this Proxy Statement. If any other matters are presented, the persons named as proxies may vote your shares in their discretion.

On March 2, 2018, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instructing our shareholders how to access this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report to Shareholders, and these materials were mailed to all shareholders who had previously requested paper copies. As of this date, all shareholders of record and all beneficial owners of shares of Common Stock had the ability to access the proxy materials relating to the Annual Meeting at a website referenced in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (www.edocumentview.com/KAMN). A shareholder will not receive a printed copy of these proxy materials unless the shareholder requests it by following the instructions set forth in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials explains how a shareholder may access and review the important information contained in the proxy materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials also explains how a shareholder may submit a proxy via telephone or the Internet. Our proxy materials, whether in paper or electronic form, are available to all shareholders free of charge.

INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING AT THE ANNUAL MEETING

Voting Rights and Outstanding Shares

Only holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock at the close of business on February 9, 2018 (the "record date"), are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of February 9, 2018, the Company had 27,791,851 shares of Common Stock outstanding, each of which is entitled to one vote on each matter properly brought before the Meeting. All votes will be counted by the Company’s transfer agent, Computershare Inc., who will be appointed as inspector of election for the Annual Meeting and who will separately tabulate the votes cast at the meeting, as well as the number of broker non-votes and abstentions.

Submitting Your Proxy

Before the Annual Meeting, you can appoint a proxy to vote your shares of Common Stock by following the instructions contained in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. You can do this by (i) using the Internet (www.envisionreports.com/KAMN), (ii) calling the toll-free telephone number (1-800-652-VOTE (8683)) or (iii) if you have a printed copy of our proxy materials, by completing, signing and dating the proxy card where indicated and mailing or otherwise returning the card to us prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting. Voting using the Internet or telephone will be available until 1:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

How to Submit Your Proxy if you are a "Beneficial Owner"

If your shares of Common Stock are held in the name of a bank or broker, you should follow the instructions on the form you receive from that firm. The availability of Internet or telephone voting will depend on that firm’s voting processes. If you choose not to vote by Internet or telephone, please return your proxy card, properly signed, and the shares represented will be voted in accordance with your directions. If you do not provide instructions to the bank or broker, that firm will only be able to vote your

- 1 -

shares with respect to "routine" matters. Under current broker voting regulations, the only routine matter to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting and the only matter for which brokers will have the discretion to vote is Proposal 5 (Ratification of Appointment of PwC). Your broker must have proper instructions from you in order to vote with respect to Proposal 1 (Election of Directors), Proposal 2 (Approval of Executive Compensation), Proposal 3 (Approval of Management Incentive Plan), Proposal 4 (Approval of Employee Stock Purchase Plan), Proposal 6 (Shareholder Proposal to Elect Directors by Majority Voting), Proposal 7 (Shareholder Proposal to Eliminate Supermajority Voting Provisions) and Proposal 8 (Shareholder Proposal to Request Spin-off of Distribution or Aerospace Business). Without proper instructions from you, the broker will not have the power to vote on those seven proposals and this will be considered a "broker non-vote" for each such proposal. We recommend that you contact your broker to assure your shares are properly voted.

How Your Proxy will be Voted

All properly submitted proxies received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted in accordance with their terms. If a proxy is returned signed, but without instructions for voting, the shares of Common Stock it represents will be voted as recommended by the Board of Directors. If a proxy is returned improperly marked, the Common Stock it represents will be counted as present for purposes of determining a quorum but will be treated as an abstention for voting purposes. Unsigned proxies will not be counted for any purpose.

How to Revoke Your Proxy

Whichever voting method you choose, a properly submitted proxy may be revoked at any time before it is counted at the Annual Meeting. You may revoke your previously submitted proxy by (i) timely casting a new vote using the Internet or by telephone; (ii) giving written notice to the Company’s Corporate Secretary or submitting a written proxy bearing a later date prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting; or (iii) attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. If you submit a later dated proxy, it will have the effect of revoking any proxy that you submitted previously and will constitute a revocation of all previously granted authority to vote for every proposal included on any previously submitted proxy. If you plan to revoke a proxy for shares of Common Stock that are held in the name of a bank or broker, please be sure to contact your bank or broker to ensure that your revocation has been properly processed, or if you plan to revoke a proxy for such shares by voting in person at the Annual Meeting, be sure to bring personal identification and a statement from your bank or broker that shows your ownership of such shares.

Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not by itself revoke a proxy. Written revocations or later-dated proxies should be hand-delivered to the Corporate Secretary at the Annual Meeting or sent to Kaman Corporation, Corporate Headquarters, 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002, Attention: Corporate Secretary. In order to be effective, all written revocations or later-dated proxies must be received before the voting is conducted at the Annual Meeting.

Quorum and Voting Requirements

Under Connecticut law, our shareholders may take action on a matter at the Annual Meeting only if a quorum exists with respect to that matter. With respect to each proposal, a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter will constitute a quorum for action on that matter. For this purpose, only shares of Common Stock held as of the record date by those present at the Annual Meeting or for which proxies are properly provided by telephone, Internet or in writing and returned to the Company as provided herein will be considered to be represented at the Annual Meeting.

Under Connecticut law, assuming the presence of a quorum, (i) directors will be elected (Proposal 1) by a plurality of the votes cast; and (ii) each of the other proposals will be approved if the number of votes cast "FOR" each such proposal exceeds the number of votes cast "AGAINST" that proposal. Although directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, our Board has supplemented the state law voting requirement with a majority voting policy which is described in more detail below. See "Majority Voting Policy."

In addition to these state law voting requirements, the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") Listed Company Manual provides that approval of the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Management Incentive Plan (Proposal 3) requires the favorable vote of at least a majority of the votes cast on the proposal.

Broker Non-Votes and Abstentions

All shares of Common Stock represented at the Annual Meeting will be counted for quorum purposes, including broker non-votes and abstentions. Under Connecticut law, broker non-votes and proxies marked to abstain or withhold from voting with respect to any item to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting generally are not considered for purposes of determining the tally of votes cast "FOR" or "AGAINST" the item and, therefore, will not affect the outcome of the voting with regard to any proposal. However, for purposes of the NYSE rules, abstentions are treated as votes cast and, accordingly, will have the same effect as a vote against Proposal 3. In addition, all proxies marked to "WITHHOLD AUTHORITY" for the election of any nominee for election as a director are included in the tally of votes cast for purposes of our majority voting policy, which is described below. Accordingly, with respect to the election of directors (Proposal 1), a vote to "WITHHOLD AUTHORITY" for the election of any nominee for election as a director has the same effect as a negative vote under our majority voting policy.

- 2 -

Board Voting Recommendations

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote "FOR" the election of all director nominees, "FOR" Proposal 2 (Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation), "FOR" Proposal 3 (Approval of Management Incentive Plan), "FOR" Proposal 4 (Approval of Employee Stock Purchase Plan), "FOR" Proposal 5 (Ratification of Appointment of PwC), "AGAINST" Proposal 6 (Shareholder Proposal to Elect Directors by Majority Voting), "AGAINST" Proposal 7 (Shareholder Proposal to Eliminate Supermajority Voting Provisions) and "AGAINST" Proposal 8 (Shareholder Proposal to Request Spin-off of Distribution or Aerospace Business). The Board does not know of any matters to be presented for consideration at the Meeting other than the matters described in those Proposals and the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. However, if other matters are presented, the persons named in the proxy intend to vote on such matters in accordance with their judgment.

Voting Results

We will announce preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting. We will file a Current Report on Form 8-K containing the final voting results with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") within four business days of the Annual Meeting or, if final results are not available at that time, within four business days of the date on which final voting results become available.

Majority Voting Policy

Since 2006, the Board has maintained a policy (set forth in the Company's Corporate Governance Principles which are available at http://www.kaman.com by clicking on the "Governance" link) that addresses certain circumstances when a director nominee has not received a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director’s election or re-election. Briefly, in an uncontested election for directors (one in which the number of nominees does not exceed the number of directors to be elected) at a properly called and held meeting of shareholders, any director nominee who is elected by a plurality vote, but who does not receive a majority of the votes cast, shall promptly tender his or her resignation once the shareholder vote has been certified by the Company’s tabulation agent. A "majority of the votes cast" means that the number of shares voted "FOR" a director’s election exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the number of votes cast with respect to that director’s election. For this purpose, "votes cast" include votes to withhold authority and exclude abstentions and broker non-votes with respect to that director’s election.

The Corporate Governance Committee will thereafter recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject that resignation and, depending on the recommendation, whether or not a resulting vacancy should be filled. The Board will then act, taking into account the committee’s recommendation. The Board will publicly disclose its decision and the rationale therefor in a press release to be disseminated in the customary manner, together with the filing of a Current Report on Form 8‑K with the SEC. This process shall be completed within ninety (90) days after the shareholder vote certification. A director who has tendered his or her resignation shall not participate in the Corporate Governance Committee’s determination process and/or the Board’s action regarding the matter.

In determining whether or not to accept a director’s resignation for failure to secure a majority of the votes cast, the Corporate Governance Committee and the Board will consider the matter in light of the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and may consider any information they believe is relevant and appropriate, including the following:


•	the director’s qualifications in light of the overall composition of the Board;


•	the director’s past and anticipated future contributions to the Board;


•	the stated reasons, if any, for the "withheld" votes and the underlying cause for the "withheld" votes if it otherwise can be discerned; and


•	the potential adverse consequences of accepting the resignation, including the failure to comply with any applicable rule or regulation (including applicable stock exchange rules or federal securities laws) or triggering of defaults or other adverse consequences under material contracts or the acceleration of change in control provisions and other rights in employment agreements, if applicable.

If the Board accepts the resignation, it may, in its sole discretion, (a) fill the resulting vacancy with any other qualified person, or (b) reduce the number of directors constituting the full Board to equal the number of remaining directors. If the Board elects to fill the resulting vacancy on the Board, the term of the director so elected shall expire at the next annual meeting of shareholders at which directors are to be elected.

If the Board does not accept the resignation, the director will continue to serve until the annual meeting for the year in which such director’s term expires and until such director’s successor shall be duly elected and shall qualify, subject, however, to prior death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office.

Solicitation Costs

The Company pays the cost of preparing, printing and mailing proxy material, as well as the cost of any required solicitation of proxies. The solicitation will be made by mail and Internet and may also include participation of the Company’s officers and employees personally or by telephone, facsimile or Internet, without additional compensation. The Company has engaged Georgeson Inc. to assist with the solicitation of proxies and expects to pay approximately $8,000 for these services, plus expenses.

- 3 -

The Company may also be required to reimburse brokers, dealers, banks, voting trustees or their nominees for reasonable expenses in sending proxies, proxy material and annual reports to beneficial owners.

Householding of Proxies

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries, such as brokers, to satisfy delivery requirements for proxy materials with respect to two or more shareholders sharing the same address by delivering a single set of proxy materials addressed to those shareholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as "householding," potentially provides extra convenience for shareholders and cost savings for companies. We and some brokers household proxy materials, delivering a single set of proxy materials to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected shareholders. Once you have received notice from your broker or us that they or we will be householding materials to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent.

If, at any time, (i) you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate set of proxy materials in the future or (ii) you and another shareholder sharing the same address wish to participate in householding and prefer to receive a single copy of our proxy materials, please notify your broker if your shares are held in a brokerage account or us if you hold registered shares. You can notify us by sending a written request to the Corporate Secretary, Kaman Corporation, 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002, or calling 860-243-6319. We undertake to deliver promptly upon written or oral request at the preceding address or phone number a separate copy of the proxy materials to any shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the proxy materials was delivered.

Annual Report

Upon a shareholder’s written request, the Company will provide, free of charge, a copy of its Annual Report to Shareholders, which includes the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with financial statements and financial statement schedules for the year ended December 31, 2017.

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF THREE CLASS I DIRECTORS FOR THREE-YEAR TERMS

Background

In accordance with the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws (the "Bylaws"), each director holds office until the annual meeting for the year in which such director’s term expires and until his or her successor shall be elected and shall qualify, unless he or she dies, resigns, retires or is removed from office. Each director also holds office subject to the Company’s majority voting policy, which is described on page 3. The following three individuals, each of whom is currently a director, are nominated for election at the Annual Meeting for three-year terms that will expire at the annual meeting to be held in 2021: E. Reeves Callaway III, Karen M. Garrison and A. William Higgins.

Board Recommendation

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders vote "FOR" all nominees.

Required Vote

Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, which means that the nominees receiving the most "FOR" votes are elected to the Board. Broker non-votes are not considered for purposes of determining the tally of votes cast "FOR" a nominee and, therefore, will not affect the outcome of the voting for directors. Nevertheless, our Board has supplemented the state law voting requirement with a majority voting policy which is described in more detail above. See "INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING AT THE ANNUAL MEETING – Majority Voting Policy." For purposes of our majority voting policy, proxies marked to withhold authority for the election of any nominee are included in the tally of votes cast, so a vote to withhold authority for the election of any nominee has the same effect as a negative vote under our majority voting policy.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE "FOR" THE ELECTION OF EACH OF THE NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE

- 4 -

Information About Nominees and Continuing Directors

Set forth below is information about each of the three director nominees, as well as the seven other directors whose terms continue after the Annual Meeting, including the name, age, and professional experience during the last five years of each individual and the qualifications, attributes and skills the Board believes qualify each individual for service on the Board. None of the organizations listed as business affiliates of the directors is an affiliate of the Company.

Class I Director Nominees for Election at the 2018 Annual Meeting



	E. Reeves Callaway III
	Mr. Callaway, 70, has been a director since 1995. He is the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Callaway Companies, an engineering services firm in the high technology composites industry that has presence in the United States and Europe. Mr. Callaway provides the Board with senior executive insight into the conduct of the composites business, global operations and marketing and sales trends. As a sitting CEO, Mr. Callaway provides the Board with important insights and perspectives as an executive leading another company.



	Karen M. Garrison
	Ms. Garrison, 69, has been a director since 2006, and she currently serves as the Board's Lead Independent Director. She is the retired President of Pitney Bowes Business Services, having served in that position from 1999 until her retirement in 2004. In her 27 years with Pitney Bowes and its subsidiary, the Dictaphone Corporation, Ms. Garrison held a series of positions with increasing responsibilities, including Vice President of Operations, and Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. She also serves as a director of SP Plus Corporation (formerly, Standard Parking Corporation), a national provider of parking facility management services (where she serves as non-executive Chairman of the Board), and Tenet Healthcare Corporation, one of the largest investor-owned health care delivery systems in the nation. She previously served as a director of North Fork Bank, a regional bank holding company that was acquired by Capital One Financial Corporation in 2006. The Board believes these positions demonstrate an extensive history of senior executive and oversight roles which provide operational insight, particularly with regard to acquisitions, human resources, information technologies, government contracting and distribution. The Board also values Ms. Garrison's extensive experience in finance and accounting, from her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rollins College and Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology to progressively senior roles as Controller, Worldwide Controller, Vice President - Finance and Chief Financial Officer over a ten-year period during her tenure at Pitney Bowes and its subsidiary, Dictaphone Corporation.



	A. William Higgins
	Mr. Higgins, 59, has been a director since 2009. He is the former Chairman, CEO and President of CIRCOR International, Inc., having served in those positions from March 2008 until his retirement in December 2012. He had previously served as the Chief Operating Officer and an Executive Vice President of CIRCOR, a global diversified manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and supplies valves, related products and services to OEMs, processors, manufacturers, the military and utilities that rely on fluid-control to accomplish their missions. Prior to joining CIRCOR in 2005, he spent thirteen years in a variety of senior management positions with Honeywell International and Allied Signal. He also serves as a director of Bristow Group Inc, a leading provider of industrial aviation services, and Albany International Corp., a global advanced textiles and materials processing company. Leslie Controls, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CIRCOR and an entity for which Mr. Higgins served as a director and Vice President, filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2010 in order to eliminate certain asbestos litigation liabilities. The subsidiary successfully emerged from bankruptcy the following year. Mr. Higgins’ professional background provides the Board with additional perspective on talent development, international operations and global strategic development, lean manufacturing and continuous improvement processes, the defense industry, acquisitions, and both the distribution and aerospace markets. In addition, his experience at Honeywell International and Allied Signal provide him with a strong background in the aerospace industry.

- 5 -

Class II Directors Whose Terms Expire in 2019



	Neal J. Keating
	Mr. Keating, 62, has been a director since September 2007, when he was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. In January 2008, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer and, in March 2008, he was appointed to the additional position of Chairman. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Keating served as Chief Operating Officer at Hughes Supply, then a $5.4 billion wholesale distributor that was acquired by Home Depot in 2006. Prior to that, he held senior positions at GKN Aerospace, an aerospace subsidiary of GKN, plc, and Rockwell Collins, Commercial Systems, and was a board member for GKN, plc and AgustaWestland. He is also a director of Hubbell Incorporated, an international manufacturer of electrical and electronic products. The Board believes that these positions demonstrate an extensive history of senior executive leadership and Board participation in both the Company's business segments (Aerospace and Distribution), with an emphasis on international operations and acquisitions. The Board also believes that Mr. Keating's combined role of CEO and Chairman provides the Company's shareholders with the benefits of Board leadership by an executive with an extensive professional background, as well as day-to-day knowledge of the Company's businesses and markets, strategic plan execution, and future needs.



	Scott E. Kuechle
	Mr. Kuechle, 58, has been a director since 2013. He is a former Chief Financial Officer of Goodrich Corporation, a worldwide supplier of aerospace components, systems and services to the commercial and general aviation airplane market that was acquired by United Technologies Corporation in 2012. Mr. Kuechle served as CFO of Goodrich from August 2005 until his retirement in July 2012. He had previously served as Vice President and Controller from 2004-2005 and Vice President and Treasurer from 1998-2004 and in various other financial leadership roles during his 29-year tenure with Goodrich. He also serves as a director of Esterline Corporation, a specialty manufacturer serving the global aerospace and defense markets, and Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc., a provider of comprehensive supply chain management services to the global aerospace industry. Mr. Kuechle's extensive background and experience within the aerospace and defense industry, coupled with his financial expertise and past experience as a Chief Financial Officer, provide the Board with a powerful skill-set upon which to draw as the Company continues to execute on its strategic plan. This type of expertise and experience was particularly important to the Board as a means of providing additional depth of capability to the Audit Committee, to which he was appointed upon his election to the Board. Mr. Kuechle’s background also provides the Board with additional perspective on international operations, financial management, acquisitions, and other finance-related matters.



	Jennifer M. Pollino
	Ms. Pollino, 53, has been a director since 2015. She currently serves as an executive coach and consultant with JMPollino LLC, a leadership development, talent management and succession planning firm she founded upon her retirement from Goodrich Corporation in July 2012. She previously served as Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Communications, at Goodrich from February 2005 until July 2012, when Goodrich was acquired by United Technologies Corporation. Prior to that, she served as President and General Manager of the Aircraft Wheels & Brakes Division of Goodrich from September 2002 to February 2005, as President and General Manager of the Turbomachinery Products Division of Goodrich from December 2001 to August 2002, and in various other positions of increasing responsibility during her 20-year tenure with Goodrich. She also serves as a director of Crane Co., a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products, and Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc., a provider of comprehensive supply chain management services to the global aerospace industry. The Board believes these positions demonstrate an extensive history of senior executive and oversight roles which provide operational insight, particularly with regard to human resources, government contracting and distribution. The Board also values her prior experience in finance and accounting gained as Vice President-Finance and Controller of two other Goodrich divisions, the Controller of a savings and loan association, a field accounting officer with the Resolution Trust Corporation, and a Certified Public Accountant.

- 6 -



	Richard J. Swift
	Mr. Swift, 73, has been a director since 2002. He is the retired Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler Ltd., a provider of design, engineering, construction, and other services. He also serves as a director of CVS Caremark Corporation, the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States; Hubbell Incorporated, an international manufacturer of electrical and electronic products; Ingersoll-Rand Company, Ltd., a diversified industrial manufacturer; and Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, a diversified energy company. In addition, he was recently appointed to serve as a Trustee of the Universities Research Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization devoted to the establishment and operation of laboratories and facilities for research, development, and education in the physical and biological sciences. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, and he served four years as an infantry officer in the United States Army. Mr. Swift brings to the Board a broad range of operations management experience acquired in a career with Foster Wheeler, Ltd. that spanned almost 30 years and involved increasingly senior executive leadership positions culminating in his role as Chairman and CEO for 7 years. He also has finance experience, with a Masters of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and service in the role of Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council from January 2002 to December 2006, and he was a Licensed Professional Engineer for approximately 35 years. This type of experience is important to the Board as a means to provide additional depth of capability to the Corporate Governance and Personnel & Compensation Committees. Mr. Swift’s background also provides the Board with additional perspective on international operations, financial management, investments, acquisitions, and other finance-related matters.

Class III Directors Whose Terms Expire in 2020



	Brian E. Barents
	Mr. Barents, 74, has been a director since 1996. He is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aerion Corporation, a leading aerodynamics technology company, since 2017, having previously served as a director, and is the retired President and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Aerospace Company LP, having served in those positions, as well as in the role of its Managing Partner, from 1997 to 2001. He previously served as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Learjet, Inc. from 1989 to 1996. He also served as a senior executive with Toyota Motor Corporation from January 1987 to April 1989 and as a Senior Vice President with Cessna Aircraft Company from 1976 to 1987. He enjoyed a distinguished military career, having retired from the U.S. Air Force as Brigadier General after 34 years of service. He also serves as a director of Nordam Corp., one of the world's largest independently owned aerospace companies. He previously served as a director of CAE, Inc., a global leader in modeling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defense, and Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, a leading manufacturer of business, special-mission, trainer and light attack aircraft. The Board believes these positions demonstrate an extensive history of senior executive leadership and Board participation in the aerospace industry. His professional background provides the Board with additional perspectives about the aerospace industry from both commercial and defense-related standpoints, as well as about marketing and sales trends, acquisitions and international markets.



	George E. Minnich
	Mr. Minnich, 68, has been a director since 2009. He served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ITT Corporation, then a $9 billion commercial and defense conglomerate, from 2005 until his retirement in 2007. Prior to that, he served for 12 years in several senior finance positions at United Technologies Corporation, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Otis Elevator Company and of Carrier Corporation. As a Certified Public Accountant, he also held various increasingly senior positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers (then Price Waterhouse) from 1971 to 1993, culminating in Audit Partner from 1984 to 1993. He also serves as a director of AGCO Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, and Belden Inc., a manufacturer of high-speed electronic cables, connectivity and networking products. Mr. Minnich earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Albright College. He provides the Board with extensive financial and accounting experience gained over a career spanning more than thirty-five years. This experience was important to the Board in connection with his initial election as a means to provide additional depth of capability to the Board's Audit Committee. Mr. Minnich’s senior-level operational background also provides the Board with additional perspectives regarding the aerospace industry, defense contracting, international sales and acquisitions.

- 7 -



	Thomas W. Rabaut
	Mr. Rabaut, 69, has been a director since 2008. He currently serves as an Operating Executive with The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm, with which he has been affiliated since January 2007. From June 2005 to January 2007, he was President of the Land & Armaments Operating Group of BAE Systems, a global leader in the design, development and production of military systems. From January 1994 to June 2005, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Defense Industries, Inc., which was acquired by BAE Systems in 2005. Mr. Rabaut is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and he served five years in the United States Army. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), and he also serves as a director of Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc., a manufacturer of fully-automatic transmissions for medium-and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, medium- and heavy-tactical U.S. military vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for transit buses (where he serves as Lead Director), and a number of other privately held companies. He previously served as a director of Cytec Industries, Inc., a supplier of advanced composite products. The Board believes that these positions demonstrate an extensive history of senior executive leadership positions in the defense and aerospace industries. His professional and Board experience provide the Board with additional perspectives about the aerospace industry, defense markets, international markets, and acquisitions from both commercial and defense-related standpoints, as well as market and sales trends.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Board is elected by our shareholders to oversee their interests as owners of the Company. The Board is the ultimate decision-making authority for the Company, except for those matters that are reserved for, or shared with, our shareholders. The Board appoints and oversees the Company’s senior management, which is responsible for conducting the Company’s day-to-day business operations.

Board Leadership Structure

Our Bylaws and Corporate Governance Principles provide the Board with the flexibility to select and revise its leadership structure on the basis of the best interests of the Company and its shareholders at any given point in time. The Board evaluates this structure in connection with the annual appointments to the positions of Chairman of the Board ("Chairman") and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). The Board believes that it is currently in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to combine the Chairman and CEO roles and to appoint a Lead Independent Director annually. In this way, the Company’s shareholders have the benefit of Board leadership by Mr. Keating, an executive with extensive day-to-day knowledge of the Company’s operations, strategic plan execution and future needs, as well as a Lead Independent Director who provides Board member leadership. In arriving at its determination, the Board has also considered the fact that the Board consists entirely of independent directors (other than Mr. Keating), all having diverse professional and other Board experience.

The current Lead Independent Director is Karen M. Garrison. The Lead Independent Director position has existed since 2002. The roles and responsibilities of the Lead Independent Director currently include the following:


•	membership on the Corporate Governance Committee;


•	chair of the Board’s executive sessions and of Board meetings at which the Chairman is not in attendance;


•	review and approval of all Board and committee meeting agendas;


•	liaison between the Chairman and the independent directors, which includes facilitating communications and assisting in the resolution of conflicts, if any, between the independent directors and the Company’s management;


•	providing counsel to the Chairman and CEO, including provision of appropriate feedback regarding effectiveness of Board meetings, and otherwise as needed or requested; and


•	such other responsibilities as the Board delegates.

In performing these responsibilities, the Lead Independent Director is expected to consult with the chairpersons of the Board committees, as appropriate, and solicit their participation in order to avoid the appearance of diluting the authority or responsibility of the Board committees and their chairpersons.

Board Meetings and Committees

The Board met 6 times in 2017 and its committees met a total of 24 times. Each director attended 75% or more of the aggregate of all meetings of the Board and committees on which he or she served during 2017. The Company's Corporate Governance Principles provide that directors are strongly encouraged to attend each annual meeting of shareholders, and all of the directors then in office attended the 2017 Annual Meeting. All of the Company's current directors are expected to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting.

- 8 -

The Board maintains the following standing committees: Corporate Governance, Audit, Personnel & Compensation, and Finance. Each committee has a charter that has been approved by the Board. The complete text of each committee charter is available on the Company’s website located at www.kaman.com by clicking on the "Governance" link followed by the "Documents & Downloads" link. Each committee and the Board periodically, but not less than annually, review and revise the committee charters, as appropriate.

The following table describes the current members of each committee and the number of meetings held during 2017. Unless otherwise noted, each director served on the committees noted for the entire year.



Board Member	Audit Committee	Corporate Governance Committee	Finance Committee	Personnel & Compensation Committee
Brian E. Barents	—	—	X	X
E. Reeves Callaway III	—	—	X	X
Karen M. Garrison⁽¹⁾	—	Chair	X	—
A. William Higgins	—	X	Chair	—
Neal J. Keating⁽²⁾	—	—	—	—
Scott E. Kuechle	Chair	X	—	—
George E. Minnich	X	—	—	X
Jennifer M. Pollino	X	—	—	X
Thomas W. Rabaut	X	—	X	—
Richard J. Swift	—	X	—	Chair
Number of Meetings	8	6	5	5

_______________


(1)	Lead Independent Director.


(2)	Not an independent director.

Corporate Governance Committee

Under its charter, the Corporate Governance Committee consists of the chairpersons of the standing committees and the Lead Independent Director, if the Lead Independent Director is not already a committee chairperson. The committee assists the Board in fulfilling its corporate governance responsibilities and serves as the Board’s nominating committee. These corporate governance responsibilities include board and committee organization and function, membership, compensation, and annual performance evaluation; annual goals development and evaluation for the CEO with participation by the Personnel & Compensation Committee and the Board in executive session; succession planning; development and periodic review of governance policies and principles; monitoring director compliance with stock ownership guidelines; consideration and recommendation of shareholder proposals; establishment of selection criteria for, and review and recommendation of, new Board members; and administration of the Company’s majority voting policy for director elections.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee the Company’s financial reporting and accounting policies and procedures, its system of internal accounting and financial controls, the internal audit function and the annual independent audit of the Company’s financial statements. The committee is also responsible for overseeing the performance, qualifications and independence of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm (which reports directly to the committee) as well as the performance of the internal audit department. The committee reviews the Company’s business risk assessment framework and identifies principal business risks with management, the independent auditor and the internal chief audit executive (however, this committee is not the only Board committee that reviews such business risks), and pre-approves all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by its independent auditor (which approval authority has been delegated to the committee’s chairperson for certain immaterial items that may arise between meetings, subject to ratification at the committee’s next meeting).

The Audit Committee has also established a policy for the Company’s hiring of current or former employees of the independent auditor to ensure that the auditor’s independence under applicable SEC rules and accounting standards is not impaired. The committee has also established, and monitors management’s operation of, procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing or other matters; as well as the confidential, anonymous submission by the Company’s employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting, auditing or other matters. The committee meets regularly in executive session with the Company's Chief Audit Executive and the independent auditor without management present.

- 9 -

The Audit Committee Charter provides that a committee member may not simultaneously serve on the audit committees of more than three companies whose stock is publicly traded (including this committee) unless the Board has provided its consent. No determination to grant such consent is currently required.

George E. Minnich, Scott E. Kuechle, Jennifer M. Pollino and Thomas W. Rabaut each has been determined to be an "audit committee financial expert," within the meaning of Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K.

Personnel & Compensation Committee

The Personnel & Compensation Committee (the "P&C Committee") reviews and approves the terms of, as well as oversees, the Company's executive compensation strategies (including the plans and policies to execute those strategies), administers its equity plans (including the review and approval of equity grants to executive officers) and annually reviews and approves compensation decisions relating to executive officers, including those for the CEO and the other Named Executive Officers. The committee considers the CEO's recommendations when determining the compensation of the other executive officers, but the CEO has no role in determining his own compensation (although as part of the annual CEO evaluation process, he prepares a self-assessment for review by the Corporate Governance Committee, which shares that evaluation with this committee). The committee then submits its determinations regarding proposed CEO compensation at an executive session of the Board for consideration and approval.

The P&C Committee also monitors management's compliance with stock ownership guidelines adopted from time to time by the Board; reviews and approves employment, severance, change in control and termination arrangements for all executive officers and periodically reviews the Company's policies and procedures for management development.

During each of the last thirteen years, the committee has directly engaged Geoffrey A. Wiegman, founder and president of Wiegman Associates LLC, an independent compensation consulting firm, to assist the committee in fulfilling its responsibilities (Mr. Wiegman is sometimes referred to in this proxy statement as the "independent compensation consultant"). The independent compensation consultant attends each committee meeting, including executive sessions. He advises the committee on marketplace trends in executive compensation and evaluates proposals for compensation programs and executive officer compensation decisions. He has also provided services to the Corporate Governance Committee in connection with its evaluation of director compensation. Although he interacts with Company management in his capacity as an advisor to the committee, he is directly accountable to the committee. The committee has assessed the independence of Mr. Wiegman as required under applicable SEC and NYSE rules and has determined that the work of the independent compensation consultant does not raise any conflict of interest. The committee also has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from external legal, accounting or other advisers.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

As noted above, each member of the P&C Committee is "independent" under the NYSE and SEC rules applicable to compensation committee members and otherwise in accordance with the P&C Committee's charter and our Corporate Governance Principles. In addition, no member of the P&C Committee has served as one of our officers or employees at any time. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee of any other company that employs a member of our Board or the P&C Committee. All members of the P&C Committee are "non-employee directors" as defined in SEC Rule 16b-3(b)(3).

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities concerning matters of a material financial nature, including the Company’s strategies, policies and financial condition, insurance-related risk management programs, financing agreements, dividend policy, significant derivative instrument or foreign currency positions, and administration of tax-qualified defined contribution and defined benefit plans. The committee’s responsibilities also include review of the Company’s annual business plan and long range planning strategies; all forms of major debt issuances; the financial aspects of proposed acquisitions or divestitures that exceed transaction levels for which the Board has delegated authority to management; material capital expenditures; methods of financing; and the Company’s relationship with its lenders. Finally, the committee reviews and approves the Company’s policies and procedures on hedging, swaps, security-based swaps, derivatives, foreign currency exchange risk and debt and interest rate risk and, not less than annually, reviews and approves, on a general or a case-by-case basis, the Company’s decision to enter into swaps and other derivative transactions that are exempt from exchange-execution and clearance under the "end-user exception" set forth in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") and any applicable regulations established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Director Nominees

The Board is responsible for selecting its own members and recommending them for election by the shareholders. The Board delegates the screening process involved to the Corporate Governance Committee, which consults with the Chairman and CEO, after which it provides recommendations to the Board. The Corporate Governance Committee will also consider director candidates recommended by shareholders. While the Corporate Governance Committee does not have specific minimum qualifications for

- 10 -

potential directors, its policy is that all candidates, including those recommended by shareholders, will be evaluated on the same basis. The committee utilizes a nationally recognized third-party consultant to assist in identifying potential candidates. The consultant is provided with the committee’s assessment of the skill-sets and experience required in the context of current Board composition and identifies potential candidates for introduction to the committee. Thereafter, consideration of any such individuals is the responsibility of the committee in consultation with the CEO.

Under our Bylaws, only individuals nominated in accordance with certain procedures are eligible for election as directors of the Company (except for the rights of preferred shareholders, of which there currently are none). Generally, nominations are made by the Board of Directors or any shareholder (i) who is a shareholder of record on the date of the giving of written notice in respect of the nomination for director and on the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting where directors are to be elected, and (ii) who provides advance written notice, all of the foregoing in accordance with the Bylaws.

In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be properly made by a shareholder, such shareholder must have given timely notice therefor in proper written form to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a shareholder's written notice to the Secretary of the Company must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Company, in the case of: (i) an annual meeting, not less than seventy-five (75) days nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the immediately preceding year's annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days prior to or delayed by more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting, to be timely, notice by the shareholder must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the annual meeting is mailed or public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first given or made (which for this purpose shall include any and all filings of the Company made with the SEC), whichever first occurs; and (ii) a special meeting called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which notice of the date of the special meeting is mailed or public disclosure of the date of the special meeting is first given or made (which for this purpose shall include any and all filings of the Company made with the SEC).

A shareholder’s written notice of a proposed nomination must describe (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of the nominee, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of the nominee, (iii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Company which are owned beneficially or of record by the person, if any, and (iv) any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the "Exchange Act"). The shareholder making the proposal must also provide (i) the shareholder's name and record address, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Company which are owned beneficially or of record by the shareholder, (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the shareholder and each proposed nominee and any other person or persons (including their names) pursuant to which the nomination(s) are to be made by such shareholder, (iv) a representation that the shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the persons identified in its notice, and (v) any other information relating to such shareholder that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and its rules and regulations. The written notice must be accompanied by a written consent of each proposed nominee to being named or referred to as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected. The Board may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information (which may include meetings to discuss the furnished information) as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director.

The Board’s Role in Oversight of the Company’s Risk Management Process

The Board oversees the Company’s processes to identify, report and address risks across the full spectrum of the Company’s operations. To that end, each of the Board’s committees has been delegated responsibility for evaluating specific risk management processes and issues resulting therefrom. The Board receives regular reports from these committees and, where appropriate, directs that action be taken. The Board also conducts direct oversight of certain risk management processes.

The Company’s Internal Audit Department reports directly to the Audit Committee, and the Audit Committee regularly reviews with management the Company’s financial reporting and accounting policies, internal controls over financial reporting, internal accounting controls, business risk assessment framework and principal business risks, and Code of Business Conduct compliance. The Finance Committee reviews the Company’s short- and long-term business plans, certain proposed acquisitions or divestitures (including consideration of any substantial diversification from current business operations), any significant debt/equity issuances and risk management programs from an insurance coverage perspective. The Company’s Vice President - Corporate Risk, Safety and Environmental Management also reports directly to the committee on a periodic basis. The P&C Committee reviews and approves the Company’s executive compensation strategies and programs related to annual, long-term and equity incentives and the business unit and corporate performance goals associated therewith, monitors management progress in compliance with stock ownership guidelines, considers and approves all employment-related agreements or termination arrangements with the Company’s executive officers and periodically reviews policies related to management development. The Corporate Governance Committee

- 11 -

reviews the Company’s succession plan for the CEO and other top senior management, assures annual evaluation of Board performance, establishes selection criteria for new directors and manages the annual CEO evaluation process. The duties and responsibilities of each of the Board’s committees are more fully described above.

In addition to its consideration of matters brought to its attention by the Board’s committees, the Board conducts direct oversight of various business risk management functions. At each regular meeting, the Board receives senior management reports about current operations as well as the identification of, and progress in addressing, principal business risks. The Board also receives direct reports from management regarding its Enterprise Risk Management program for identification and development of mitigation activities relative to longer-term business risks. In addition to the regular reports provided regarding current principal business risks, the Audit Committee periodically receives summary reports regarding the Enterprise Risk Management program. Annually, the Board reviews and approves the Company’s strategic plan objectives with periodic reviews thereafter regarding progress against that plan and any changes that are being considered. The Board’s oversight role in this area has not affected its approach to the Board’s leadership structure, at least in part due to the level of direct communication that the Board and its committees experience with a variety of management employees involved in operations, finance, human resources, risk management and legal roles.

Board and Committee Independence Requirements

Our Corporate Governance Principles provide that, as a matter of policy, a significant majority of the Board should consist of independent directors. In order to be deemed independent, our Corporate Governance Principles specify that a director must be free from any relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities as a director. In addition to establishing its own criteria for independence, the Company complies with the rules promulgated by the NYSE for determining the independence of directors, as well as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for independence of directors on the Audit Committee and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and the Dodd-Frank Act requirements for independence of directors on the P&C Committee (or any other committee performing an equivalent function).

Based on the review and recommendation of the Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has affirmatively determined that all of the current directors meet the applicable independence standards referenced in the preceding paragraph, except for Mr. Keating, the Company’s Chairman, President and CEO. In evaluating and determining the independence of the Company's directors, the Corporate Governance Committee and the Board considered that, in the ordinary course of business, transactions may occur between the Company and its subsidiaries and certain entities with which some of the directors are or have been affiliated.

In affirmatively determining the independence of each director who serves as a member of the P&C Committee, the Corporate Governance Committee and the Board considered all factors specifically relevant to determining whether such director has a direct or indirect relationship with the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is material to such director's ability to be independent from management in connection with the director's duties as a member of the P&C Committee, including, but not limited to the source of compensation of such director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the Company to such director and whether such director is affiliated with the Company, a subsidiary of the Company or an affiliate of a subsidiary of the Company.

Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills of Current Board Members and Director Nominees

The Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing with the Board, on a periodic basis, the appropriate characteristics required of Board members in the context of the Board’s current composition. This includes review of the suitability for continued service of each Board member when his or her term expires and when he or she has a significant change in status. Overall, the assessment includes areas such as senior leadership positions; professional experience in areas relevant to the Company’s businesses, including aerospace, industrial distribution, international, government, regulatory, mergers and acquisitions, financial, accounting, human resources or information technology systems experience; other public company board service; and diversity, age and evidence of the intangible characteristics that are vital to the successful operation of any board. Diversity in this context has traditionally referred to encouragement of the identification of minority candidates, including women and individuals of varied national origins. Consideration of diversity has been an element communicated to the third-party search firms in each of the director searches conducted during the past several years.

The Board believes that intangible characteristics include a demonstrated understanding of a director’s policy making role while constructively challenging management to seek and attain competitive targets and increase shareholder value; a demonstrated understanding of the Company’s values and strategic plan; capacity for critical thought; maintenance of objectivity in not being unreasonably influenced by personal experience or other Board members in situation analysis; and the independence required for participation on the Board and its committees. In addition, Board members are evaluated with respect to their active contributions, including regular attendance and preparation for/participation at meetings while maintaining an ongoing understanding of the issues and trends affecting the Company.

- 12 -

In addition to these intangible characteristics, we have described specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that the Board believes qualify each current director for his or her position on the Board in the summary of biographical information set forth above. Those descriptions are not intended to be comprehensive descriptions of the types of expertise or contributions provided by each director. At this time, the Board believes that each of these directors possesses the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, as well as the intangible characteristics described above, which, taken together, qualify them for their positions on the Board.

Other Information about the Board’s Structure and Composition

Board Size

The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company provides that the Board of Directors shall consist of not less than three or more than fifteen persons, the exact number of which shall be fixed from time to time by the Board. The current size of the Board is fixed at ten persons. Although the directors are authorized to fill vacancies on the Board, including any vacancy resulting from an increase in its size, any director so elected may only serve until the annual meeting immediately following his or her election. Under our Corporate Governance Principles, a Board size of nine to eleven individuals continues to be considered appropriate.

Mandatory Retirement

The Company’s Bylaws provide for mandatory director retirement at age 72 (age 75 for directors serving as of November 14, 2000). The Board’s policy in implementing this requirement is that if a director attains mandatory retirement age during his or her then-current term, the director may continue to serve the remaining portion of that term. Although the Board is permitted to make exceptions to this requirement, it intends to exercise this right only under extraordinary circumstances.

Change of Principal Occupation

Our Corporate Governance Principles require directors who change their principal occupation, position or responsibility held at the time of election to submit a conditional letter of resignation to the Board, after which a judgment will be made in each case as to the appropriateness of continued membership under the circumstances.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Board has adopted stock ownership guidelines for non-employee directors. Under the guidelines, non-employee directors are required to have an ownership multiple of three times their current annual cash retainer. For 2017, the stock ownership requirement was $225,000, based on an annual cash retainer of $75,000. Directors who do not meet the ownership guidelines must hold shares received pursuant to their annual equity grants for a period of three years or until the guidelines are met, whichever is earlier. The Corporate Governance Committee periodically reviews the progress of each non-employee director toward the achievement of these guidelines. As of December 31, 2017, all non-employee directors were in compliance with these guidelines.

2017 Director Compensation

The following table provides information about the compensation that our directors earned during 2017. The table does not include Mr. Keating, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, who received no additional compensation for his service as a director.

2017 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE



Name	Fees Earned or Paid in Cash⁽¹⁾	Stock Awards⁽²⁾	All Other Compensation	Total
Brian E. Barents	$93,500	$125,006	—	$218,506
E. Reeves Callaway III	$93,500	$125,006	—	$218,506
Karen M. Garrison	$133,500	$125,006	—	$258,506
A. William Higgins	$103,500	$125,006	—	$228,506
Scott E. Kuechle	$113,500	$125,006	—	$238,506
George E. Minnich	$100,000	$125,006	—	$225,006
Jennifer M. Pollino	$100,000	$125,006	—	$225,006
Thomas W. Rabaut	$98,500	$125,006	—	$223,506
Richard J. Swift	$108,500	$125,006	—	$233,506

_______________


(1)	Cash amounts included in the table represent the annual retainers, committee chair fees, lead director fees and committee member fees earned for the year ended December 31, 2017, as well as any additional meeting fees paid during fiscal 2017. See the "2017 Board Retainer and Meeting Fee Table" below.


(2)	Represents the grant date fair value of stock awards granted during fiscal 2017, calculated in accordance with applicable accounting standards related to share-based award payments. This amount is calculated by multiplying the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on the date prior to such grants,

- 13 -

which was $46.35, by the number of shares awarded. For additional information on the calculation of the awards, please refer to Footnote 17, Share-Based Arrangements, to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year then ended. Each stock award generally consisted of 2,697 vested shares of Common Stock issued under our 2013 Management Incentive Plan on April 19, 2017.

The following table summarizes the director fee schedule in effect throughout 2017:



2017 BOARD RETAINER AND MEETING FEE TABLE
	Amount/Value
Cash:
Retainer Fees (payable quarterly in arrears)⁽¹⁾:
Board		$75,000
Lead Director		$30,000
Committee Chairs:
Audit Committee		$30,000
Corporate Governance Committee		$20,000
Personnel & Compensation Committee		$25,000
Finance Committee		$20,000
Committee Members:
Audit Committee		$15,000
Corporate Governance Committee		$8,500
Personnel & Compensation Committee		$10,000
Finance Committee		$8,500
Equity:
Stock Award⁽²⁾	Vested shares having a fair market value equal to $125,000

_________________

(1)

In addition to these annual retainers, Board members may receive additional meeting fees ($1,500 for an in person meeting and $750 for a telephonic meeting) for "special" board meetings. Special board meetings are defined as meetings that are in addition to the meetings regularly scheduled in advance. Committee members may also receive additional meeting fees ($1,500 for an in person meeting and $750 for a telephonic meeting) for any committee meeting that exceeds the number of regularly scheduled committee meetings by more than two.


(2)	This award is currently made under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan at the annual Board meeting held in conjunction with the annual meeting of shareholders. The number of shares for this award is determined based upon the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the NYSE on the day prior to the date of grant, in accordance with the Plan.

The Corporate Governance Committee reviews our non-employee director compensation on a biennial basis with the assistance of the independent compensation consultant to the P&C Committee. The compensation arrangements reflected in the preceding table were approved by the Corporate Governance Committee in November 2016 and became effective as of January 1, 2017.

From time to time, special activities may be undertaken by one or more directors at the direction of the Board and, in such cases, additional fees will ordinarily be paid. There were no such special activities during 2017.

Directors may defer all, or a portion, of their cash compensation. Interest accrues on such deferrals at the Applicable Federal Long-Term Rate. When a director ends his or her service on the Board, distributions are made either in quarterly installments over a maximum period of 10 years or in a lump sum, based on prior elections made in connection with each deferral. Distributions are made beginning either in the next calendar quarter after the date service ends or on the following January 1 at the prior election of the director.

Code of Business Conduct and Other Governance Documents Available on the Company’s Website

The Company has for many years maintained a Code of Business Conduct applicable to all of its employees, consultants and the Board of Directors. This Code of Business Conduct is also specifically applicable to the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller and persons performing similar functions. The current Code of Business Conduct, which was amended and restated in its entirety effective January 1, 2013, may be accessed on the Company’s website at www.kaman.com by clicking on the "Governance" tab followed by the "Documents and Downloads" link. We intend to disclose any future amendments to, or waivers from, provisions of the Code of Business Conduct required to be disclosed under the rules of the SEC or listing standards of the NYSE at the same location on our website.

- 14 -

In addition to the Code of Business Conduct and the committee charters and Governance Principles already referenced, other governance documents including the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.kaman.com by clicking on the "Governance" tab and then the link to each document.

Communications with the Board

Shareholders or others wishing to communicate with any member of the Board, a Board committee or the Lead Independent Director may do so by mail, addressed to Kaman Corporation Corporate Headquarters, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1332 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002 or by e-mail through the Kaman Corporation website at www.kaman.com by clicking on the "Governance" tab and then selecting "Contact" link. The Corporate Secretary will compile all such communications and forward each item to the individual to whom it is directed or, if the communication is not directed to any particular Board member, to the entire Board. Items that the Corporate Secretary determines are frivolous, unlawful or that constitute commercial advertisements will not be forwarded to the Board or any particular Board member.

Director Education

The Board maintains a policy that directors should be regularly exposed to discussion of current developments in their roles and responsibilities as directors, and their attendance at such sessions is reimbursed by the Company. The Board’s policy also encompasses receipt of information regarding developments in the law and conditions in the market segments in which the Company operates. During the past few years, several Board members have participated in seminars sponsored by various national organizations, which have included developments in the law, board/management relationship development and audit-related topics. The Board has also received presentations from outside industry experts regarding developments and trends in certain of the Company’s market segments and other subjects of importance to the Company. In addition, the Board and the Company have an orientation process for new directors that includes background material, meetings with senior management and visits to Company facilities.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, as well as persons who own more than 10% of our outstanding shares of common stock, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership of our securities with the SEC. We have procedures in place to assist our directors and executive officers in preparing and filing these reports on a timely basis. Based solely on a review of the Section 16(a) forms furnished to us, or written representations from certain persons that no Forms 5 were required, we believe that all required Section 16(a) forms were timely filed for fiscal 2017.

Related Party Transactions

The Company’s Code of Business Conduct requires that all business transactions be at arms’ length, negotiated in good faith and based on merit alone. All of the Company’s employees have a responsibility and duty of loyalty to the Company and all business decisions are to be made in the best interests of the Company, which means putting the Company’s interests first. Should a situation arise that would constitute a related party transaction under applicable SEC rules, the Company's Code of Conduct provides that the independent and disinterested Board members will review the propriety of, and approve or disapprove, such transaction. Under SEC rules, a related party is, or at any time since the beginning of the last fiscal year was, a director, executive officer, nominee for director or five percent shareholder of the Company, or an immediate family member (as defined under applicable SEC rules) of any of the foregoing. A related party transaction is any transaction, arrangement or relationship (or series of transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related party had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. There were no related party transactions during 2017.

- 15 -

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS

AND MANAGEMENT

Stock Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information about the beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock by each director and director nominee, each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table, and all directors and executive officers as a group, as of December 31, 2017. The beneficial ownership percentages have been calculated based on 27,815,492 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding as of such date. Unless otherwise indicated, each person listed has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares listed, and the business address of each person is c/o Kaman Corporation, 1332 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002.



Name	Number of Shares Beneficially Owned as of December 31, 2017		Percentage

Brian E. Barents	31,841	⁽¹⁾	*
E. Reeves Callaway III	5,664		*
Karen M. Garrison	26,341		*
A. William Higgins	20,341		*
Neal J. Keating	215,315	⁽²⁾	*
Scott E. Kuechle	11,794		*
Alphonse J. Lariviere, Jr.	25,468	⁽³⁾	*
Shawn G. Lisle	19,355	⁽⁴⁾	*
George E. Minnich	21,752	⁽⁵⁾	*
Jennifer M. Pollino	7,099		*
Thomas W. Rabaut	29,226	⁽⁶⁾	*
Steven J. Smidler	40,039	⁽⁷⁾	*
Robert D. Starr	57,566	⁽⁸⁾	*
Gregory L. Steiner	69,790	⁽⁹⁾	*
Richard J. Swift	16,937		*
Gregory T. Troy	16,939		*
All Directors and Executive Officers as a group	665,586	⁽¹⁰⁾	2.38%

_______________


*	Less than one percent.


(1)	Includes 29,144 shares held through a family trust, for which Mr. Barents serves as Trustee with the power to exercise investment control.


(2)	Includes 14,000 shares held in a trust, for which Mr. Keating serves as a co-trustee with the power to exercise investment control.


(3)	Includes 8,971 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days.


(4)	Includes 3,620 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days.


(5)	Includes 19,055 shares held indirectly through a family LLC controlled by Mr. Minnich.


(6)	Includes 2,485 shares held by a revocable trust for the benefit of Mr. Rabaut's spouse and children, for which Mr. Rabaut serves as Trustee with the power to exercise investment control.


(7)	Includes 15,820 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days. No longer employed with the Company effective as of January 2, 2018.


(8)	Includes 34,301 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days.


(9)	Includes 41,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days. Retired from the Company effective as of January 2, 2018.


(10)	Includes 115,219 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options exercisable or which will become exercisable within 60 days. Also includes shares beneficially owned by Messrs. Steiner and Smidler, who are Named Executive Officers for 2017 but were not serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2017.

- 16 -

Beneficial Owners of More Than 5% of Common Stock

Following is information about persons known to the Company to be beneficial owners of more than five percent (5%) of the Company’s outstanding voting securities as of December 31, 2017:



Name and Address of Beneficial Owner	Number of Shares Beneficially Owned	Percentage of Common Stock

GAMCO Asset Management Inc. et al.⁽¹⁾ One Corporate Center Rye, NY 10580	4,982,061	17.9%
BlackRock, Inc.⁽²⁾ 55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10022	3,645,872	13.1%
The Vanguard Group⁽³⁾ 100 Vanguard Boulevard Malvern, PA 19355	2,582,779	9.3%
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP⁽⁴⁾ Building One 6300 Bee Cave Road Austin, TX 78746	1,403,633	5.0%

_______________

(1)

As reported in Amendment No. 23 to Schedule 13D, filed with the SEC on November 1, 2017 ("Amendment 23") by Mario J. Gabelli and various entities which he directly or indirectly controls or for which he acts as chief investment officer (collectively, the "Reporting Persons"), GAMCO Asset Management Inc. ("GAMCO") is the beneficial owner of 3,594,479 shares, Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Gabelli Funds") is the beneficial owner of 1,181,781 shares, MJG Associates, Inc. ("MJG Associates") is the beneficial owner of 7,000 shares, Teton Advisors, Inc. ("Teton Advisors") is the beneficial owner of 197,301 shares, Gabelli & Company Investment Advisers, Inc. ("GCIA") is the beneficial owner of 1,000 shares, and Mario J. Gabelli is the beneficial owner of 500 shares. Mr. Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the shares owned beneficially by each of the foregoing entities. Each of the Reporting Persons, together with their executive officers and directors, has the sole power to vote or direct the vote and the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of the shares reported for it, either for its own benefit or for the benefit of its investment clients or its partners, as the case may be, except that (i) GAMCO does not have authority to vote 235,500 of the reported shares, (ii) Gabelli Funds has sole dispositive and voting power with respect to the shares held by a number of investment funds for which Gabelli Funds serves as an investment adviser (the "Funds") so long as the aggregate voting interest of all joint filers does not exceed 25% of their total voting interest in the Company and, in that event, the Proxy Voting Committee of each Fund shall respectively vote that Fund's shares, (iii) at any time, the Proxy Voting Committee of each Fund may take and exercise in its sole discretion the entire voting power with respect to the shares held by such Fund under special circumstances such as regulatory considerations, and (iv) the power of Mr. Gabelli is indirect with respect to the shares beneficially owned directly by other Reporting Persons.

(2)

As reported in Amendment No. 10 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 8, 2018, BlackRock, Inc. is the beneficial owner of 3,645,872 shares held by specified subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. According to the filing, BlackRock, Inc. has the sole power to vote or direct the vote of 3,591,434 shares, the shared power to vote or direct the vote of no shares, the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 3,645,872 shares, and the shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of no shares.

(3)

As reported in Amendment No. 6 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018, The Vanguard Group is the beneficial owner of 2,582,779 shares held by various investment advisory clients as of December 31, 2017. According to the filing, The Vanguard Group has the sole power to vote or direct the vote of 31,702 shares, the shared power to vote or direct the vote of 4,669 shares, the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 2,548,339 shares, and the shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 34,440 shares.

(4)

As reported in Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP ("Dimensional Fund") is the beneficial owner of 1,403,633 shares held by various investment advisory clients as of December 31, 2017. According to the filing, Dimensional Fund has the sole power to vote or direct the vote of 1,343,770 shares, the shared power to vote or direct the vote of no shares, the sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of 1,403,633 shares, and the shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of no shares. Dimensional Fund disclaims beneficial ownership of all such securities.

- 17 -

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Introduction

This section explains our executive compensation program as it applies to our executive officers whose compensation is summarized in the Summary Compensation Table and the other tables that are presented immediately following this discussion. We sometimes refer to these executive officers as our "Named Executive Officers" or our "NEOs." This section also discusses the role, responsibilities and philosophy of the P&C Committee of our Board of Directors, which oversees the design and operation of the program.

For 2017, our Named Executive Officers were as follows:



Neal J. Keating	Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert D. Starr	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Shawn G. Lisle	Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Alphonse J. Lariviere, Jr.	Executive Vice President, Kaman Corporation and President, Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation
Gregory T. Troy	Senior Vice President - Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer
Gregory L. Steiner	Former Executive Vice President, Kaman Corporation and President, Kaman Aerospace Group, Inc.
Steven J. Smidler	Former Executive Vice President, Kaman Corporation and President, Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation

As noted in the table above, Messrs. Steiner and Smidler are no longer with the Company, but they still qualify as Named Executive Officers under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Mr. Steiner ceased to be President of the Aerospace Segment as of October 1, 2017, and Mr. Smidler ceased to be President of the Distribution Segment as of November 9, 2017, but both continued to serve as employees through January 2, 2018. The terms and conditions of their separations from the Company are discussed in more detail below. Mr. Richard R. Barnhart succeeded Mr. Steiner as President of the Aerospace Segment, effective as of October 1, 2017, but is not listed as a Named Executive Officer because he was not one of the most highly compensated officers of the Company during 2017. The Company expects that Mr. Barnhart will qualify as a NEO for 2018. Mr. Lariviere succeeded Mr. Smidler as President of the Distribution Segment, effective as of November 9, 2017, and is listed as a Named Executive Officer because he had previously been employed as Senior Vice President - Finance & Administration of the segment and, as such, was one of the most highly compensated officers of the Company during 2017.

In the discussion that follows, we begin with a brief description of some of the most significant actions that were taken by the Committee with respect to the 2017 compensation of our Named Executive Officers. We then discuss some of the most significant policies and practices that have been implemented to assure that the total compensation paid to our NEOs is linked to Company performance and increases in shareholder value. We then present the results of our recent say-on-pay votes and discuss how the Committee has interpreted these results. Next, we discuss our compensation philosophy and describe the various elements of our executive compensation program and the 2017 compensation of our Named Executive Officers, including the annual cash incentive award payouts that were approved in February 2018 for 2017 performance and an estimate of the long-term incentive award payouts that are likely to be approved in June 2018 based on the long-term performance periods ended as of December 31, 2017. We then discuss a number of other compensation-related matters, including our use of employment and change in control agreements, our stock ownership guidelines for directors and executive officers, and the material tax and accounting implications of our compensation program. We conclude by presenting the formal report of the Committee, which is required by applicable SEC rules and regulations.

As used in this section, all references to the "Committee" mean the P&C Committee, which oversees the design and operation of our executive compensation program. For more information about the Committee and its role and responsibilities, please see the discussion under the heading "Personnel & Compensation Committee" above.

2017 Compensation Initiatives

Set forth below is a brief description of some of the most significant events and actions taken by the Committee during 2017 or otherwise affecting the determination of the 2017 compensation of our Named Executive Officers and other members of our senior leadership team:

- 18 -

•

We undertook a year-long reassessment of the Company's annual and long-term incentive compensation programs during 2017, and upon the completion of the reassessment, we approved certain modifications to the programs that are reflected in the 2018 incentive compensation awards granted to our Named Executive Officers. We modified the annual incentive program for corporate executive officers to measure performance against internal benchmarks, as opposed to the 5-year trailing performance of the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index, and we selected EBITDA and free cash flow as the appropriate metrics, each with an equal weighting. The annual incentive programs for business unit executive officers will measure performance against internal benchmarks and selected sales, EBITDA and free cash flow as the metrics, each with an equal weighting. We modified the long-term incentive program to measure performance using return on investment and total return to shareholders as the metrics, each with an equal weighting, and we elected to retain the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index as the most appropriate comparator. We elected to continue to use the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index because we continue to believe that this is the most likely group that current and potential shareholders would use to evaluate the Company in making their investment decisions, and the disparity of our two business segments precludes us from developing a relevant peer group of similarly situated companies. Use of the Russell 2000 Index companies also obviates the need for the development of long-term internal benchmarks of performance. Please note that the modifications approved during 2017 apply to annual and long-term incentive awards granted after January 1, 2018, so they are not reflected in the compensation discussion and analysis that follows.

•

We increased the emphasis of total shareholder return ("TSR") in the financial metrics relating to the long-term incentive program ("LTIP") awards granted to our executive officers, including our NEOs. The performance factors included in the LTIP awards granted to our executive officers during 2018 assigned a 50% weighting to TSR, up from the 34% weighting of TSR in LTIP awards granted prior to 2018.

•

We continued to incorporate additional caps on the LTIP awards granted to our NEOs. The LTIP awards granted to our executive officers during 2017 continued to include an additional sub-limit of 150% on the payouts in respect of any particular performance measure if the Company's adjusted performance for such measure is less than zero. For example, if the Company's three-year average total return to shareholders is negative but outperforms the three-year average total return to shareholders for the Russell 2000 Index companies, the payout in respect of that performance measure cannot exceed 150%.

•

We considered the results of the voting at the 2017 Annual Meeting with respect to the annual, non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and considered the compensation-related aspects of the proxy advisory reports issued by ISS and Glass Lewis. In accordance with applicable SEC rules and regulations and the voting frequency preferred by our shareholders, we submit an annual, non-binding advisory proposal to our shareholders asking them to approve the compensation that is paid to our Named Executive Officers (a so-called "say-on-pay proposal"). In connection with these votes, various proxy advisory firms, including ISS and Glass Lewis, issue proxy advisory reports assessing, among other things, our executive compensation policies and programs. As discussed in more detail below, approximately 98.7% of the votes cast at the 2017 Annual Meeting of shareholders were voted "FOR" the most recent advisory proposal submitted to shareholders. See "Recent Say-on-Pay Voting Results" below. We have interpreted this to mean that our shareholders generally support the design, purposes and direction of our executive compensation program. Nevertheless, we considered the comments and recommendations set forth in the proxy advisory reports issued by ISS and Glass Lewis, and at least in part in response thereto, we undertook the year-long reassessment of the Company's annual and long-term incentive compensation programs discussed above.

•

We considered the results of the voting at the 2017 Annual Meeting with respect to the non-binding advisory vote on the frequency of future shareholder votes on executive compensation, and we determined to continue, at least for the time being, the practice of holding an annual advisory vote on the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers. At least once every six years, we are required to afford shareholders the opportunity to cast an advisory vote recommending how often we should submit a say-on-pay proposal to shareholders (a so-called "say-on frequency proposal"), and we submitted a say on frequency proposal to shareholders at the 2017 Annual Meeting. Shareholders were afforded the opportunity to cast an advisory vote in favor of submitting future say-on-pay proposals to shareholders every year, every two years or every three years. Approximately 83% of the votes cast expressed a preference for maintaining our current practice of submitting future say-on-pay proposals to shareholders every year. We considered the results of the voting, and we determined to continue, at least for the time being, the practice of holding an annual advisory vote on the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers.

•

We oversaw the Company’s compliance with the new CEO Pay Ratio rules, and we considered the Company’s resulting 2017 CEO Pay Ratio. Recent regulations promulgated in response to the Dodd-Frank Act generally require public companies to disclose the median of the annual total compensation of all employees other than the chief executive officer, the annual total compensation of the chief executive officer, and the ratio of these two amounts (the so-called “CEO Pay Ratio”), in their proxy statements commencing as of 2018. We oversaw the Company’s compliance with these

- 19 -

new regulations throughout 2017 and we considered the Company’s resulting CEO Pay Ratio for 2017, which is described in more detail below. See “2017 Pay Ratio Disclosure,” below.

•

We approved the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Management Incentive Plan (the "2013 Plan"). Shareholders first approved the 2013 Management Incentive Plan at the 2013 Annual Meeting of shareholders and, in connection therewith, authorized the issuance of up to 2,250,000 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units and cash-based awards. As originally approved by shareholders, the 2013 Plan set forth certain specified performance criteria that could be used for cash and equity incentive awards that were intended to qualify as "performance-based compensation" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 significantly changed Section 162(m) for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, making the related provisions set forth in the 2013 Plan superfluous. Because it was necessary to seek shareholder authorization of the issuance of additional shares under the 2013 Plan, we elected to amend and restate the 2013 Plan to authorize the additional shares, delete the superfluous provisions pertaining to Section 162(m) and implement certain other changes. A complete description of the amended and restated 2013 Plan is set forth below. See "Proposal 3 - Amendment and Restatement of the 2013 Management Incentive Plan."

•

We approved the amendment and restatement of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. As part of our regular review of the Company's equity incentive plans, we also approved the amendment and restatement of the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. A complete description of the amended and restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan is set forth below. See "Proposal 4 - Amendment and Restatement of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan."

•

We continued the practice of deferring annual base salary adjustments for our senior executives. Continuing a practice that commenced in 2013, the Committee, at the request of our Chief Executive Officer, deferred the 2017 salary adjustments for our Named Executive Officers, including our Chief Executive Officer and the other senior executive officers who report directly to him, from January 1 to July 1, 2017. The 2017 salary adjustments for all other officers were deferred from January 1 to April 1, 2017. Similar deferrals are planned for 2018.

Kaman's Compensation and Benefits Best Practices

The Company's executive compensation program is designed to link total compensation with both short- and long-term Company performance and increases in shareholder value with minimal excess risk taking. The Committee periodically reviews and adjusts the compensation and benefits program to ensure alignment with current market practices. By continuing to evaluate and modify the program as necessary and by designing the program around the following best practices, the Committee has shown its commitment to paying for performance and aligning executive pay with shareholder interests.


•	Independent Compensation Consultant – The Committee retains its own compensation consultant who reports directly to the Committee and attends all Committee meetings.


•	"Double Trigger" Vesting – The change in control agreements with our Named Executive Officers include "double trigger" vesting provisions that require both a change in control of the Company and a qualifying termination of employment, either by the Company without "Cause" or by the executive for "Good Reason," in order to receive change in control severance benefits.


•	No Excise Tax Gross-Ups – None of our employment or change in control agreements include tax gross-up provisions pursuant to which any of our NEOs would be entitled to reimbursement for any excise taxes resulting from a change in control.


•	No Re-Pricing of Underwater Stock Options – Our equity incentive plans expressly prohibit the re-pricing of underwater stock options.


•	No Time-Vested Restricted Stock Awards – Except for two special retention awards that were granted to our CEO and the former President of our Aerospace Segment during the spring of 2014, our NEOs generally do not receive time-vested restricted stock awards. Instead, they receive performance-based long-term incentive awards.

•

Emphasis on Total Shareholder Return – TSR is a significant component of the performance-based long-term incentive awards that are granted to our executive officers, including our Named Executive Officers. Three-year total return to shareholders accounts for 34% of the performance factors incorporated in LTIP awards granted in 2017 and 50% of the performance factors incorporated in LTIP awards granted in 2018.


•	Minimal Perquisites – The Company provides minimal perquisites to its executive officers, including its Named Executive Officers.


•	Claw-Back Provisions – Both our CEO and our CFO are subject to contractual compensation claw-back provisions in the event that there is a mandatory restatement of the Company’s financial statements. These provisions also provide that our CEO and our CFO shall be bound by any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC implementing the

- 20 -

requirements of Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Act or any compensation claw-back policy subsequently adopted by the Committee. In addition, the 2013 Management Incentive Plan expressly provides that all awards under the Plan shall be subject to any compensation recovery policy that may be adopted by the Company.


•	No Hedging or Pledging of Company Stock – Our directors, executive officers and other designated employees are prohibited from engaging in hedging or pledging transactions or short sales of Company stock.


•	Stock Ownership Guidelines – Our directors and senior executives are subject to meaningful stock ownership guidelines. Adherence to these guidelines is monitored by the Committee.


•	Balanced Compensation Program – Our executive compensation program is balanced between annual and long-term financial goals (including total shareholder return), with an emphasis on longer-term strategic objectives.


•	Caps on Incentive Awards – All annual and long-term incentive awards include caps on the maximum payouts that can be achieved under the awards.

Recent Say-on-Pay Voting Results

Since 2011, we have asked our shareholders to cast a non-binding, advisory vote to approve the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers, and our shareholders have overwhelmingly voted in favor of our compensation program. The following chart shows, for each of the last five years, the percentage of the votes cast "FOR" and "AGAINST" these non-binding proposals, excluding broker non-votes and abstentions:

________________________


(*)	Represents the percentage of votes cast "FOR" and "AGAINST" the proposals, excluding broker non-votes and abstentions. If abstentions were to be counted as votes "AGAINST," the percentage of votes cast "FOR" the proposals would have been 83.8%, 80.6%, 93.7%, 98.2% and 98.4% for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

The Committee has interpreted this strong voting record to mean that our shareholders generally support the current design, purposes and direction of our executive compensation program. Accordingly, the Committee has taken no specific actions to modify our executive compensation program as a direct result of these non-binding, advisory votes but, rather, has continued to oversee the program in accordance with its best judgment and stated governing principles.

WE ENCOURAGE SHAREHOLDERS TO REVIEW THIS COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND THE ACCOMPANYING COMPENSATION TABLES FOR AN EXPLANATION OF OUR APPROACH TO EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND A DISCUSSION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE COMPENSATION PAID TO OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND THE COMPANY'S FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE. AS DISCUSSED HEREIN, WE BELIEVE THAT THE COMPENSATION PAID, AND TO BE PAID, TO OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS FOR 2017 BEARS, AND WILL BEAR, A DIRECT AND CORRESPONDING RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMPANY'S 2017 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.

Our Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The philosophy underlying our executive compensation program is to provide an attractive, flexible and market-based total compensation program that is tied to the financial performance of the Company and is aligned with the long-term financial interests of our shareholders. We strive to recruit and retain executive officers and other key employees who have the skills and talents that

- 21 -

are necessary to deliver sustained financial performance that exceeds the median financial performance of the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index.

Our fundamental compensation objectives include the following:

•

Increase shareholder value by motivating talented individuals to achieve the Company’s annual and longer-term financial and strategic operational goals with compensation related to objective benchmarks and Company performance. To accomplish this objective, we use an appropriate mix of pay elements, including salary, annual and long-term incentive opportunities and benefits. Overall, salary and benefits are determined based upon a comparison to the competitive market as reflected by various market surveys of companies that approximate our revenue, while the annual and long-term incentive opportunities are directly related to the Company’s financial performance compared to internal benchmarks and the financial performance of the Russell 2000 Index companies.

•

Tie a significant percentage of our senior executives’ incentive compensation to the successful execution of strategic operational goals. To accomplish this, we establish objective and measurable goals on an annual and longer-term basis (generally 3 years) and compare the Company's actual performance to objective, measurable benchmarks. As a result, executives, especially our Named Executive Officers, earn above average compensation when the Company achieves above average financial performance as compared to the Russell 2000 Index of companies.

•

Require our Named Executive Officers to maintain a significant equity stake in the Company to further align their interests with those of our shareholders. We maintain meaningful stock ownership guidelines, described in more detail below, that are designed to align the financial interests of our officers, including our Named Executive Officers, with those of our shareholders. To facilitate the accumulation of equity and the satisfaction of these guidelines, the Committee may elect (and, in recent years, generally has elected) to pay up to one-third (1/3) of a cash-based long-term incentive award payout in shares of Company stock. At the discretion of the Committee, up to the entire amount of such payout may be paid in shares of Company stock to the extent requested by a plan participant.

•

Protect against inappropriate risk taking. We use caps on potential awards for both annual and long-term incentives. The Committee also introduced a claw-back policy that is reflected in the employment agreements of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer. The Committee intends to establish a broader claw-back policy covering all executive officers once the SEC issues final rules and the NYSE issues listing conditions for the recovery of incentive compensation as required under Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Act. In addition, the Company’s Insider Trading Policy expressly prohibits directors, executive officers and other designated employees from engaging in short-term or speculative transactions in Company securities, including, among others, (i) short sales of Company securities; (ii) publicly traded options, puts, calls or other similar derivative securities; (iii) hedging or similar monetization transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts; and (iv) holding Company securities in a margin account or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan.

While the Committee considers the likely tax consequences of the various components of the Company’s executive compensation program and strives to safeguard the deductibility of executive compensation where possible, tax considerations do not drive executive compensation program design. The Committee believes it is important to retain flexibility to structure the Company’s executive compensation program and practices in a manner that the Committee determines is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Committee retains discretion to operate the Company’s executive compensation programs in a manner designed to promote varying company goals. As a result, the Committee may from time to time conclude that certain compensation arrangements are in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders and consistent with its compensation philosophy and strategy despite the fact that the arrangements might not qualify for tax deductibility. See "Material Tax and Accounting Implications," below.

Our Compensation Program

We have designed our executive compensation program to achieve the goals described above in a variety of ways with the intention of providing market-competitive pay for a company of our size and incentive opportunities that challenge and correspondingly reward our executives when, and to the extent that, the Company succeeds. First, we use a combination of pay elements, each of which over time is intended to approximate the market median compensation for each position. These elements include base salary, annual cash incentives, longer-term cash and equity incentive opportunities, and benefits. The opportunities afforded by each pay element are determined on the basis of comparison to objective criteria to assure consistency with companies of similar revenue size, which include national surveys and a sampling of the Russell 2000 companies recommended by the Committee’s independent compensation consultant which approximate the Company’s revenue size (but none of which specifically reflects our combination of business segments).

Actual annual and longer-term incentive pay is then determined by comparing selected metrics of Company financial and operational performance to the entire Russell 2000 index of companies. The Committee has used the Russell 2000 because it believes this is the most likely group that both current and potential shareholders would use to evaluate the Company in making

- 22 -

their investment decisions, and the disparity of our two business segments (Aerospace and Distribution) precludes us from developing a relevant peer group of similarly situated companies. The Committee regularly reviews the continued appropriateness of using the Russell 2000 for comparison and reconfirmed its use for 2017 (although the Committee elected to utilize internal benchmarks for the 2018 annual incentive program).

The financial performance metrics upon which annual and longer-term incentive opportunities have been based are those that management has used to evaluate business performance. For corporate participants (those who do not work primarily for one of our two business segments), annual incentive metrics for 2017 included return on invested capital as compared to the return on invested capital achieved by the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index, growth in earnings per share as compared to the growth in earnings per share achieved by the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index, and growth in earnings per share as compared to corresponding amounts established with reference to the Company’s annual profit plan. For business segment participants, annual incentive metrics for 2017 included the accomplishment of predetermined financial goals and other operational performance factors relating to the relevant business segment, as well as the Company as a whole. Longer-term incentive metrics payable in respect of 2017 were the same for corporate and business segment executives and consisted of the Company’s average return on investment, compounded growth in earnings per share and total return to shareholders, generally over a three-year period. All such metrics were approved by the Committee. The weightings of these metrics in the overall determination of award payments for the annual cash incentive and longer-term incentive are discussed in more detail below.

The pay elements of our corporate executive compensation program are designed to work together in a way that results in above average compensation when the Company achieves above average financial performance compared to the Russell 2000 Index of companies.

How the Program Works in Practice

The Committee determines base salary ranges and annual cash incentive and long-term incentive targets for our Named Executive Officers using a biennial market report prepared by the Committee’s independent compensation consultant. The independent compensation consultant has advised the Committee that our business segment diversity makes identification of a single peer group to benchmark compensation unworkable, so the independent compensation consultant’s market report estimates the 50th percentile for base salary, target annual cash incentive award and the annualized cash value of long-term incentive compensation for each position using information obtained from a variety of sources, including nationally recognized compensation surveys and a number of comparison peer groups, to the extent that such comparison information is available for each position. The independent compensation consultant then compares the final average competitive market rate for each position to the midpoint of the corresponding salary grade within Kaman's own compensation structure and reports this information to the Committee.

The most recent biennial market report prepared by the Committee's independent compensation consultant used in connection with the determination of the 2017 compensation discussed in this report was delivered to the Committee in November 2015 and, in this discussion, it is sometimes referred to as the "2015 Market Report." For purposes of the 2015 Market Report, the independent compensation consultant determined the final average competitive market rate for each position by averaging the national survey data reported by AonHewitt and Equilar, two large independent compensation consulting firms, and the compensation data, if any, reported for each position by companies comprising the peer group compiled by ISS, the peer group compiled by Equilar and the Company's own peer group, which consisted of twenty-two Russell 2000 companies having annual revenues similar to ours. Annex I to this proxy statement identifies the national surveys (which were not prepared at the Company’s request) in more detail, along with the number, type and size of the organizations covered by the surveys. The companies comprising each of the peer groups referenced in the 2015 Market Report are also identified in Annex I to this proxy statement.

The Committee’s policy is that the midpoint of the salary grade for base salary, annual cash incentive targets and the annualized target value of long-term incentives for each position should each, over time, approximate the market median, as represented by the final average competitive market rate of compensation compiled by the independent compensation consultant. As of the 2015 Market Report prepared by the independent compensation consultant, the midpoint of the Kaman salary grade for base salary, annual cash incentive targets (as a percentage of base salary), and total compensation (salary, bonus and long-term compensation) for each of our Named Executive Officers as compared to the market median were as follows:

- 23 -



SUMMARY OF 2015 MARKET REPORT PREPARED BY THE INDEPENDENT COMPENSATION CONSULTANT
	Base Salary			Target Annual Cash Incentive Award (as a Percentage of Base Salary)			Total Compensation (Salary, Bonus & Long-Term Compensation)
	Kaman⁽¹⁾	Market Median⁽¹⁾	Variance	Kaman⁽¹⁾	Market Median⁽¹⁾	Variance	Kaman⁽¹⁾	Market Median⁽¹⁾	Variance

Neal J. Keating	$892,530	$838,861	6%	105%	102%	3%	$4,184,144	$3,696,754	13%
Robert D. Starr	$450,080	$437,280	3%	65%	68%	(3)%	$1,417,752	$1,356,207	5%
Shawn G. Lisle	$337,560	$378,149	(11)%	55%	60%	(5)%	$877,656	$1,026,840	(15)%
Gregory T. Troy	$309,200	$342,100	(9)%	55%	55%	—	$757,540	$838,145	(9)%
Gregory L. Steiner	$450,080	$423,591	6%	65%	71%	(6)%	$1,417,752	$1,263,192	12%
Steven J. Smidler	$450,080	$438,415	3%	65%	69%	(4)%	$1,417,752	$1,292,636	10%

_______________

(1)

All information presented was derived from the independent compensation consultant's 2015 Market Report, which was first presented to the Committee in November of 2015. The Kaman compensation information set forth in the table reflects the midpoint of the Kaman salary grade for each position and the corresponding value of annual and long-term incentive compensation awards at target. Mr. Keating's total compensation figure reflects a long-term incentive opportunity equal to 275% of base salary. Mr. Lariviere was not an executive officer of the Company when the 2015 Market Report was prepared, so he was not included in the report. The table does not purport to show the actual compensation earned by, or paid to, the executives named in the table.

Our compensation policy also results in a significant percentage of total compensation (excluding benefits) being based on performance. Set forth below is the allocation of total direct compensation (excluding benefits) for target performance for each of our Named Executive Officers for 2017.



FIXED VS. PERFORMANCE BASED COMPENSATION PERCENTAGES
	Fixed	Performance-Based⁽¹⁾
Name	Salary (% of Total)	Annual Cash Incentive (% of Total)	Long-Term Incentive⁽²⁾ (% of Total)	Total Performance Related (% of Total)
Neal J. Keating	20%	21%	59%	80%
Robert D. Starr	32%	20%	48%	68%
Shawn G. Lisle	38%	22%	40%	62%
Alphonse J. Lariviere⁽³⁾	50%	23%	27%	50%
Gregory T. Troy	41%	22%	37%	59%
Gregory L. Steiner	31%	20%	49%	69%
Steven J. Smidler	32%	20%	48%	68%

_______________


(1)	Percentages are based on target performance for the annual cash incentive and the long-term incentive elements of compensation.


(2)	Long-term incentive compensation consists of LTIP awards granted under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan for all NEOs other than Mr. Lariviere, whose long-term incentive compensation consists of nonqualified stock options and restricted shares granted under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan.


(3)	Mr. Lariviere's annual cash incentive percentage of total reflects the pro-rated percentage based on Mr. Lariviere's target opportunity of 40% prior to his appointment as the President of Distribution Segment and his current target opportunity of 65%.

2017 Compensation for our NEOs

The total compensation program for our Named Executive Officers during 2017 was comprised of the following elements:


•	Base Salaries;


•	Annual Cash Incentive Awards;


•	Long-Term Incentive Awards; and


•	Retirement and Other Benefits.

While base salaries, long-term incentives, and retirement and other benefits generally are determined in similar ways for each of our Named Executive Officers, different annual cash incentive awards apply to those Named Executive Officers employed at our Corporate Headquarters (Messrs. Keating, Starr, Lisle and Troy), our Aerospace Segment (Mr. Steiner) and our Distribution Segment (Messrs. Smidler and Lariviere).

- 24 -

Base Salaries

Base salaries are established with reference to the biennial market report prepared by the independent compensation consultant, generally targeting base salaries at the market median with appropriate modifications to reflect the individual’s professional experience and knowledge of his area of management responsibility. The Committee's determination regarding the CEO is subject to the Board’s ratification and approval. Adjustments to base salary are determined as follows: an overall salary increase budget guideline is developed, based on market data and the use of nationally recognized surveys of anticipated salary increases published by Meridian, AonHewitt, Willis Towers Watson and World at Work. Within the overall budget guideline, a narrow range of salary adjustment percentages is then established for each salary grade, with slightly higher percentages for individuals who are below the grade midpoint and slightly lower percentages for individuals who are above the grade midpoint. Salary adjustments, if any, are then determined within this narrow range based upon an annual performance rating given to the Named Executive Officer by Mr. Keating and recommended to the Committee. The performance rating determination is primarily based upon the officer’s level of substantive performance in executing the responsibilities listed in his or her position description.

The Committee’s recommendation to the Board regarding the CEO’s base salary adjustment is made after consultation with the Corporate Governance Committee to obtain that Committee's assessment of the CEO’s performance for the year. The Corporate Governance Committee solicits input from all independent directors in connection with its annual CEO performance assessment.

Amounts paid to the Named Executive Officers in respect of their 2017 base salaries are shown in the Summary Compensation Table that follows this Compensation Discussion and Analysis. As was done during each year from 2013 through 2016, the Committee, at the request of the CEO, elected to defer the 2017 salary increases for our Named Executive Officers from January 1 to July 1 due to uncertain business conditions. Except for Mr. Lisle, the 2017 base salary increases for our Named Executive Officers were relatively modest, ranging from 0% to 4%, reflecting the fact that the base salaries of most of our NEOs are at or above the market median as reported by the 2015 Market Report prepared by the independent compensation consultant. Mr. Lisle's 2017 base salary increase was somewhat larger, approximately 8.2%, because his base salary was below the median as reported by the 2015 Market Report.

The base salary paid to Mr. Lariviere during 2017 is an aggregation of the base salary he earned prior to November 9, 2017 while he served as Senior Vice President - Finance & Administration of the Distribution Segment and the base salary earned after such date, which was the effective date of his appointment to serve as President of the Distribution Segment.

Annual Cash Incentive Awards

Our annual cash incentive award plans are designed to reward employees for financial and operational performance that drives shareholder value and to focus our organization on meeting or exceeding designated performance goals. The plans provide employees, including our Named Executive Officers, with the opportunity to earn cash awards based on the degree to which the Company achieves pre-determined performance measures for the year. Amounts paid to NEOs under our annual cash incentive plan for 2017 were granted with the intention of being deductible as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Code and, in accordance therewith, the Committee retained the ability to utilize negative discretion to eliminate or decrease the amount payable to a participant with respect to any award.

The elements used to determine awards include:


•	an award opportunity (expressed as a percentage of base salary);


•	performance measures (such as growth in earnings per share);


•	a weighting for each performance measure toward the executive’s total award; and


•	a performance goal for each performance measure (such as a particular earnings per share target).

The Committee establishes the target annual cash incentive award opportunity for each Named Executive Officer after using the independent compensation consultant’s biennial market report and advice. Positioning award targets at the market median reinforces the Committee’s strategy that annual cash incentive payments should exceed target levels only when the Company's actual financial performance exceeds the Company’s targeted objectives.

- 25 -

The 2017 target performance award opportunity for each Named Executive Officer was as follows:



Named Executive Officer		2017 Target Award Opportunity Expressed as % of Actual Base Salary
Neal J. Keating		105%
Robert D. Starr		65%
Shawn G. Lisle		55%
Alphonse J. Lariviere⁽¹⁾		40%
Gregory T. Troy		55%
Gregory L. Steiner		65%
Steven J. Smidler		65%

_________________

(1)

Reflects the 2017 annual incentive award opportunity approved by the Committee prior to Mr. Lariviere's appointment as President of the Distribution Segment. Mr. Lariviere's annual incentive award opportunity was increased to 65%, effective as of November 9, 2017, to reflect his appointment as President of the Distribution Segment, and the actual annual incentive award paid to Mr. Lariviere for 2017 was computed using a pro-rated aggregation of the two.

For 2017, the Committee adopted different performance measures, performance measure weightings and performance goals for corporate participants (i.e., those officers who did not work primarily for one of our two business segments) and business segment participants (i.e., those officers who did work primarily for one of our two business segments). Messrs. Keating, Starr, Lisle and Troy were corporate participants and Messrs. Steiner, Smidler and Lariviere were business segment participants. The performance measures, performance measure weightings and performance goals for each are discussed in more detail below, together with the level of achievement or satisfaction of each performance goal and the resulting annual incentive award payout for each of our Named Executive Officers.

For purposes of determining the level of achievement or satisfaction of the performance measures for the Company and each of its business segments, the Committee approved certain specified modifications to the calculation of each performance measure that were applicable to all participants. Such modifications included, among others, the exclusion or inclusion of the impact to the Company's financial results of the following items, whichever would produce the higher award: the effect of changes in tax law or accounting principles; the dilutive effect on earnings per share that results from any increase in the number of shares used in the calculation of diluted earnings per share attributable to any outstanding convertible debt securities and any related bond hedge and warrant transactions; the effects of changes in applicable foreign currency exchange rates relating to non-U.S. dollar denominated financial performance; costs and losses associated with restructuring, business consolidations, severance, management realignments or closures of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates and product lines; acquisition and divestiture due diligence and integration costs and the adverse effects of acquisitions and divestitures, including spin-offs; effects of losses generated by divested operations and losses associated with discontinued business operations or product lines; the impact of any transaction costs and accounting charges incurred in connection with the issuance of equity or issuance of or refinancing of new or existing debt securities and facilities, including, but not limited to, the settlement or unwinding of existing convertible bond hedge instruments and warrants; the impact of any costs and accounting charges in respect of pension curtailment adjustments attributable to pension expense charged to company contracts with the U.S. Government, as determined under U.S. Cost Accounting Standard 418, following the freeze of future benefit accruals under the Pension Plan; unplanned charges associated with environmental matters; asset write-downs or impairments, including, but not limited to, goodwill; ERP depreciation and related expense and capital investments; litigation or claim judgments or settlements including contract claim settlements with customers and suppliers; the impact of unplanned charges in connection with contract terminations, including but not limited to, write-off of inventory, tooling, equipment and non-recurring costs; and any item of an unusual nature or of a type that indicates infrequency of occurrence, or both. The Committee, however, retained the ability to eliminate or reduce the amount of any award that would otherwise be payable as a result of the foregoing adjustments or to further adjust any award due to special circumstances as permitted under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan, under which the annual incentive awards were granted.

- 26 -

Corporate Named Executive Officers. The 2017 annual cash incentive awards for Messrs. Keating, Starr, Lisle and Troy were determined by comparing the Company’s degree of achievement with respect to the following performance factors, as compared against the benchmark indicated:



Performance Measure	Benchmark	Weighting
Actual return on investment	Russell 2000 Index for 2012 - 2016	33%
Growth in earnings per share (fully diluted)	Russell 2000 Index for 2012 - 2016	33%
Actual earnings per share (fully diluted)	2017 business plan performance goal	34%

We used a five-year period for the Russell 2000 index benchmarks primarily because many of the Company’s military and commercial aerospace programs are longer-term in nature, the time period between sales efforts and actual revenues can be very long, and revenues are often not evenly spread from year to year. Further, because the Russell 2000 Index includes companies in a variety of industries that may experience different business cycles, the Committee determined that averaging the performance of these companies over a longer period of time provides a better comparison than just one year. We could not include the last completed fiscal year in the analysis because sufficient data for the companies comprising the Russell 2000 Index is not available until the May time-frame and the Committee determines annual incentive compensation award payouts during the month of February. We used these performance measures because they are among the metrics used by management and the Board to evaluate the Company’s performance.

Company performance in the bottom quartile of the Russell 2000 earned no cash incentive award payment for the performance goal; performance at the 25th percentile resulted in a cash incentive award at 25% of target for the performance goal; performance at the median resulted in a cash incentive award at 100% of target for the performance goal; and performance in the top quartile, or above, resulted in a maximum cash incentive award payment at 200% of the target for the performance goal. Interpolation was used to determine payments for financial performance between the 25th percentile up to the median, and above the median up to the 75th percentile. This performance measurement methodology remained constant through the years although the performance of the Russell 2000 changed annually.

The Company’s annual business plan is developed jointly by business segment and corporate senior management, incorporating revenue, earnings and cash flow generation goals that take into account global economic circumstances, market conditions, and existing or targeted business opportunities. The business plan is reviewed and approved by both the Finance Committee and the full Board of Directors. If the Company’s modified earnings per share meets at least 70% of the business plan projection, a threshold award for this factor is earned. To the extent that actual earnings per share exceed the business plan projection, a greater award is earned, up to a maximum of 200% of target.

The following table shows the relationship between the Company's 2017 modified financial performance and each performance factor described above, the degree to which each performance factor was attained, and the resulting corporate performance factor. As set forth below, the Company’s 2017 modified return on investment and growth in adjusted earnings per share compared favorably to the Russell 2000 and the Company's modified earnings per share was 88.8% of the business plan projection, resulting in an overall corporate performance factor of 115.0%.

2017 ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARD CALCULATIONS FOR CORPORATE NEOs



	2017 Modified Results⁽³⁾	Financial Targets	Percentage of Factor Earned	Weighting Factor	% Of Target Award⁽⁴⁾
Return on Investment⁽¹⁾	6.0%	4.0%	146.5%	33%	48.3%
Growth in EPS⁽²⁾	9.5%	6.8%	122.1%	33%	40.3%
EPS vs. Target	$2.30	$2.59	77.6%	34%	26.4%
Resulting Corporate Performance Award Factor					115.0%

_______________


(1)	The return on investment for the 25th percentile was (1.9)% and the average return on investment for the 75th percentile was 8.3%.


(2)	The average annual compound EPS growth rate for the 25th percentile was (4.2)% and the average annual compound growth rate for the 75th percentile was 19.0%.

(3)

In accordance with the original authorization of the 2017 annual incentive awards, the modified results shown in the table reflect the following adjustments to our reported financial results: Net earnings and diluted EPS were favorably adjusted by $14.0 million and $0.54, respectively, resulting from adjustments for the dilutive effect from the convertible debt, the convertible debt loss on extinguishment and related professional fees, restructuring and severance costs and tax reform impacts. Total capitalization was favorably impacted by $14.0 million related to the aforementioned costs incurred during 2017.


(4)	This column represents the product of the Percentage of Factor Earned figures multiplied by the Weighting Factor.

- 27 -

The following table shows the calculation of the 2017 annual cash incentive awards earned by our Corporate Named Executive Officers, together with the resulting percentages of base salary such awards represent:



Named Executive Officer	2017 Base Salary	Target Award %	Annual Incentive Award Perf. Factor	2017 Annual Cash Incentive Award	Incentive Award Expressed as a Percentage of Base Salary
Neal J. Keating	$1,000,000	105%	115.0%	$1,207,500	120.8%
Robert D. Starr	$471,000	65%	115.0%	$352,073	74.8%
Shawn G. Lisle	$390,000	55%	115.0%	$246,675	63.3%
Gregory T. Troy	$355,500	55%	115.0%	$224,854	63.3%

Aerospace Segment Named Executive Officer. The 2017 annual cash incentive award for Mr. Steiner, former President of our Aerospace segment, was calculated based 25% on corporate performance and 75% on predetermined financial goals for the Aerospace segment that were recommended by our CEO and approved by the Committee. The financial performance goals and their weightings for the Aerospace segment were as follows:



Financial Performance Goal			Weighting
Actual average return on investment vs. target			20%
Growth in segment operating profit from prior year			40%
Growth in segment sales from prior year			30%
Segment free cash flow vs. Plan			10%

Target return on investment performance is the average return on investment for the three previous calendar years (i.e., the average of 2014, 2015, and 2016 for the 2017 performance year) or 12%, whichever is greater. Growth in segment sales and growth in operating profit both are measured against the prior year. Segment free cash flow represents the net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less expenditures for property, plant & equipment.

"Points" are earned based on the extent to which each performance goal is achieved, with a minimum level of achievement being required to earn any points. The points are then converted into an aggregate payout percentage, which is used to determine the amount of the actual cash incentive award payout. A minimum of 50 points must be accumulated in order to earn any cash incentive award payout and, the more points that are earned, the greater the cash incentive award payout, subject to a maximum cap of 200 points.

Set forth below is a conversion chart illustrating how the total number of points is converted into a percentage of the target award:



ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARD "POINTS" CONVERSION CHART
Total Points Earned		Percent of Target Award Earned
Below 50		0%
50		20%
60		30%
70		45%
80		60%
90		80%
100		100%
116		120%
132		140%
148		160%
164		180%
180 & Above		200%

Interpolation is used to determine payments if the number of points falls between two stated levels of total points set forth in the table.

The following table illustrates the calculation of the Aerospace segment portion of Mr. Steiner's 2017 annual cash incentive award payout. As shown in the table, Mr. Steiner earned 86.7 points based on modified 2017 business segment results as measured

- 28 -

against the specified financial goals. Using the performance factor weightings and point conversion methodology described above, this resulted in a corresponding segment performance award factor of 73.4%.

2017 ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARD CALCULATIONS FOR AEROSPACE NEO



	Target	Actual	Factor	Calculation of Points Earned									Points Earned
	Target	Actual	Factor	Threshold			Target			Maximum			Points Earned
Actual vs Target ROI (3-Year Average)⁽¹⁾	21.7%	19.2%	88.5%	50.0%	=	0	90.0%	=	20	110.0%	=	40	19.3
Growth in Operating Income⁽²⁾	6.0%	7.7%	7.7%	2.5%	=	0	6.0%	=	40	15.0%	=	80	47.6
Growth in Segment Sales⁽³⁾	5.0%	3.3%	3.3%	0.0%	=	0	5.0%	=	30	15.0%	=	60	19.8
Free Cash Flow vs. Plan⁽⁴⁾	$53.9	$16.9	31.3%	50.0%	=	0	90.0%	=	10	120.0%	=	20	—
Points Earned													86.7
Resulting Performance Award Factor⁽⁵⁾													73.4%


(1)	2017 actual average ROI was calculated based on operating income, adjusted as set forth in note 2 below, and average investment. Actual unadjusted ROI for 2017 was 18.6%. The average investment was $645.4 million.


(2)	Segment operating income increased from a $115.0 million in 2016 to an adjusted $123.8 million in 2017, an increase of 7.7%. Segment operating income was adjusted by $3.9 million relating to restructuring costs and ERP depreciation. Actual unadjusted operating income was $119.9 million.


(3)	Segment sales increased from $702.3 million in 2016 to $725.5 million in 2017, an increase of 3.3%.


(4)	Segment free cash flow is expressed in millions and represents the net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less expenditures for property, plant & equipment. Actual free cash flow was $16.9 million.


(5)	Determined utilizing Annual Incentive Award "Points" Conversion Chart.

Since 75% of Mr. Steiner's annual cash incentive award was based on Segment performance and 25% was based on corporate performance, Mr. Steiner's aggregate annual cash incentive award factor was 83.9% (.75 x 73.4% + .25 x 115.0%). The following table shows the calculation of the 2017 annual cash incentive award earned by Mr. Steiner, together with the resulting percentage of base salary such award represents:



Named Executive Officer	2017 Base Salary	Target Award %	Annual Incentive Award Perf. Factor	2017 Cash Incentive Award	Incentive Award Expressed as a Percentage of Base Salary
Gregory L. Steiner	$466,375	65%	83.9%	$254,338	54.5%

Please see "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits - Steiner Retirement Agreement" below for details regarding treatment of Mr. Steiner's annual cash incentive award under the Steiner Retirement Agreement.

Distribution Segment Named Executive Officers. The 2017 annual cash incentive award for Mr. Smidler, former President of our Distribution segment, was calculated based 25% on corporate performance and 75% on predetermined financial goals for the Distribution segment that were recommended by our CEO and approved by the Committee. The financial performance goals and their weightings for the Distribution segment were as follows:



Financial Performance Goal		Weighting
Actual average return on investment vs. target		30%
Growth in segment operating profit from prior year		40%
Growth in segment sales from prior year		20%
Segment free cash flow vs. Plan		10%

- 29 -

"Points" are earned based on the extent to which each performance goal is achieved, with a minimum level of achievement being required to earn any points. The points are then converted into an aggregate payout percentage using the points conversion chart set forth above, which is used to determine the amount of the actual cash incentive award payout. A minimum of 50 points must be accumulated in order to earn any cash incentive award payout and, the more points that are earned, the greater the cash incentive award payout, subject to a maximum cap of 200 points.

The following table illustrates the calculation of the Distribution segment portion of Mr. Smidler's 2017 annual cash incentive award payout. As shown in the table, Mr. Smidler earned 77.8 points based on actual 2017 business segment results as measured against the specified financial goals. Given the performance factor weightings and point conversion methodology described above, the 2017 financial performance by the Distribution segment resulted in a corresponding performance award factor of 56.7% out of a maximum of 200%.

2017 ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARD CALCULATIONS FOR MR. SMIDLER



	Target	Actual	Factor	Calculation of Points Earned									Points Earned
	Target	Actual	Factor	Threshold			Target			Maximum			Points Earned
Actual vs Target ROI (3-Year Average)⁽¹⁾	12.0%	12.6%	105.0%	50.0%	=	0	90.0%	=	30	150.0%	=	60	37.5
Growth in Operating Income⁽²⁾	35.0%	29.5%	29.5%	10.0%	=	0	35.0%	=	40	50.0%	=	80	31.2
Growth in Segment Sales⁽³⁾	0.0%	(2.3)%	(2.3)%	(2.0)%	=	0	0.0%	=	20	5.0%	=	40	—
Free Cash Flow vs. Plan⁽⁴⁾	$21.6	$20.6	95.6%	50.0%	=	0	100.0%	=	10	120.0%	=	20	9.1
Points Earned													77.8
Resulting Performance Award Factor⁽⁵⁾													56.7	%


(1)	2017 actual average ROI was calculated based on operating income, adjusted as set forth in note 2 below, and average investment, modified to exclude $3.6 million of ERP capital expenditures incurred in 2017. Actual unadjusted ROI for 2017 was 12.1%. The average investment was $432.7 million.


(2)	Segment operating income increased from $41.9 million in 2016 to an adjusted $54.2 million in 2017, an increase of 29.5%. Segment operating income was adjusted by $1.7 million relating to ERP and restructuring costs. Actual operating income was $52.5 million.


(3)	Segment sales decreased from $1.106 billion in 2016 to $1.081 billion in 2017, a decrease of 2.3%.


(4)	Segment adjusted free cash flow is expressed in millions and represents the net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less expenditures for property, plant & equipment.


(5)	Determined utilizing Annual Incentive Award "Points" Conversion Chart.

Since 75% of Mr. Smidler's annual cash incentive award was based on Segment performance and 25% was based on corporate performance, Mr. Smidler's aggregate annual cash incentive award factor was 71.3% (.75 x 56.7% + .25 x 115.0%). The following table shows the calculation of the 2017 annual cash incentive award earned by Mr. Smidler, together with the resulting percentage of base salary such award represents:



Named Executive Officer	2017 Base Salary	Target Award %	Annual Incentive Award Perf. Factor	2017 Cash Incentive Award	Incentive Award Expressed as a Percentage of Base Salary
Steven J. Smidler	$385,230	65%	71.3%	$178,535	46.3%

Please see "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits - Employment Agreements - Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason" below for details regarding treatment of Mr. Smidler's annual cash incentive award under Mr. Smidler's employment agreement.

The 2017 annual cash incentive award for Mr. Lariviere was calculated using a pro rated formula between Mr. Lariviere's target opportunity of 40% prior to his appointment as of the President of Distribution Segment and his current target opportunity of 65%.

Long-Term Incentive Awards

The Committee uses cash- and equity-based awards under the long-term incentive features of the Company's stock incentive plans ("LTIP Awards") in order to focus executive officers on long-term performance. LTIP Awards generally are based on the Company’s actual performance during a three-year performance period, as compared to performance measures established at the

- 30 -

beginning of the performance period. The award payout for a completed performance period is determined by comparing the Company’s actual financial performance for the three-year period with the performance of the Russell 2000 Index for the same period. Award payouts for completed performance periods generally are made in cash unless a participant has not yet achieved his or her required stock ownership level under the Company’s stock ownership guidelines, in which case the Committee may elect to pay up to one-third of the amount earned in shares of Company stock. In the discretion of the Committee, up to the entire amount of the amount earned may be paid in shares of Company stock to the extent requested by a participant. Assuming a participant has achieved his or her required stock ownership level under the Company's stock ownership guidelines, LTIP Award payouts generally are made in cash in order to provide additional liquidity to participants without the need to sell Company securities. All LTIP Awards granted prior to 2018 were granted with the intention of being deductible as "performance-based compensation" under Section 162(m) of the Code, and, in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 162(m), the Committee retained the ability to utilize negative discretion to eliminate or decrease the amount payable to a participant with respect to any award.

2017 LTIP Awards. In 2017, the Committee granted cash-based LTIP awards for the 2017-2019 performance period to each of our Named Executive Officers. The target award opportunities for the Named Executive Officers for the 2017-2019 LTIP performance period are as follows:



TARGET LTIP AWARDS FOR THE 2017-2019 PERFORMANCE CYCYLE
		Annual LTIP Awards
Named Executive Officer⁽¹⁾	2017 Base Salary⁽²⁾	Cash Award Opportunity as a % of Base Salary	Award Value at Target⁽³⁾
Neal J. Keating	$984,000	300%	$2,952,000
Robert D. Starr	$453,200	150%	$679,800
Shawn G. Lisle	$360,500	105%	$378,525
Gregory T. Troy	$344,020	90%	$309,618
Gregory L. Steiner	$466,375	160%	$746,200
Steven J. Smidler	$374,920	150%	$562,380

________________


(1)	Mr. Lariviere was not an executive officer of the Company when these LTIP Awards were granted and did not receive such an award, so he is not included in the table.


(2)	Reflects base salary as of the date of grant.


(3)	Reflects estimated value of LTIP awards at 100% of target.

The Committee used the following performance measures and weightings for the LTIP awards set forth above, as compared against the benchmarks indicated, based on its determination of their importance as indicators of the Company’s long-term success:



Performance Factor	Benchmark	Weighting
Three-year average return on investment	Three-year average return on investment for the Russell 2000 index companies	33%
Average annual compound growth in earnings per share	Three-year average annual compound growth in earnings per share for the Russell 2000 index companies	33%
Three-year average total return to shareholders	Three-year average total return to shareholders for the Russell 2000 index companies	34%

We use the Russell 2000 Index companies for our long-term financial performance benchmarks for the same reason that we use them for our annual cash incentive awards – the Committee believes that these are the kinds of companies against which an investor would likely compare the Company’s performance when considering investment alternatives.

Company performance in the bottom quartile of the Russell 2000 earns no long-term incentive award payment for the performance goal; performance at the 25th percentile results in a long-term incentive award at 25% of target for the performance goal; performance at the median results in a long-term incentive award at 100% of target for the performance goal; and performance in the top quartile, or above, results in a maximum long-term incentive award payment at 200% of the target for the performance goal. Interpolation is used to determine payments for financial performance between the 25th percentile up to the median, and

- 31 -

above the median up to the 75th percentile. This performance measurement methodology remains constant through the years although the performance of the Russell 2000 changes annually, thus increasing or decreasing the targets annually.

For purposes of determining the achievement or satisfaction of the performance measures discussed above, the Committee approved the same modifications to the calculation of Company performance that were approved in connection with the grant of the 2017 annual incentive awards. See "Annual Cash Incentive Awards" above. Like the annual incentive awards, the Committee retained the ability to eliminate or reduce the amount of any award that would otherwise be payable as a result of these adjustments or to further adjust any award due to special circumstances as permitted under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan, the plan under which the LTIP awards were granted.

Estimated 2017 LTIP Payouts. The Committee previously granted three-year cash-based LTIP awards to Messrs. Keating, Starr, Lisle, Troy, Steiner and Smidler covering the 2015-2017 performance cycle. The Committee also previously granted a special stock-based LTIP award covering the same performance cycle to Mr. Steiner in order to create an additional financial incentive for him to remain in the employ of the Company until he reaches 62 years of age. Pursuant to Mr. Steiner's Retirement and Transition Agreement dated as of September 21, 2017 (the "Steiner Retirement Agreement"), if the performance criteria for the special stock-based LTIP awards are achieved, he will have a right to any shares earned under the special stock-based LTIP award, without any reduction, as if he had remained employed throughout the entire performance period. Please see "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits - Steiner Retirement Agreement" and "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits - Employment Agreements - Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason" below for details regarding treatment of Mr. Steiner's and Mr. Smidler's cash-based LTIP Awards, respectively, under the Steiner Retirement Agreement and the Smidler Employment Agreement.

The P&C Committee will determine the level of achievement of the performance criteria for both the cash-based and the stock-based LTIP awards after a sufficient number of Russell 2000 companies report their earnings for the year ended December 31, 2017. This will not occur until after the date of this proxy statement, so the exact amount of the payouts that will be made in respect of these awards is not currently calculable and is not shown in the Summary Compensation Table. As noted in footnote 3 to the Summary Compensation Table, the Company will prepare and file a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the actual payouts in respect of these awards promptly after they are determined and approved by the Committee.

As of January 31, 2018, 2018, approximately 15.0% of the Russell 2000 Index companies had reported earnings for the year ended December 31, 2017, based upon which the following estimated 2017 LTIP payout information has been compiled by management in order to provide shareholders with a sense of the likely payouts. SHAREHOLDERS ARE CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, THAT THE INFORMATION THAT FOLLOWS IS PRELIMINARY IN NATURE, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON THE ACTUAL REPORTED RESULTS OF THE RUSSELL 2000 INDEX COMPANIES, AND HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE, WHICH RETAINS THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE NEGATIVE DISCRETION TO DECREASE OR ELIMINATE THE AMOUNT PAYABLE IN RESPECT OF ANY AWARD.

The target award opportunities for our Named Executive Officers for the 2015-2017 LTIP performance cycle are as follows:



TARGET AWARDS FOR 2015-2017 LTIP PERFORMANCE CYCLE
			Annual Cash-Based LTIP Awards		Special Retention Stock-Based LTIP Awards
Named Executive Officer⁽¹⁾	2015 Base Salary⁽²⁾		Target Award Opportunity as a % of Base Salary	Target Award⁽³⁾	Target Award Opportunity as a % of Base Salary	Target Award⁽²⁾
Neal J. Keating		$931,500	300%	$2,794,500	—	—
Robert D. Starr		$386,000	140%	$540,400	—	—
Shawn G. Lisle		$338,000	105%	$354,900	—	—
Gregory T. Troy		$321,500	90%	$289,350	—	—
Gregory L. Steiner		$437,000	150%	$655,500	10%	$43,700
Steven J. Smidler		$364,000	150%	$546,000	—	—

_______________


(1)	Mr. Lariviere was not an executive officer of the Company when these LTIP Awards were granted and did not receive such an award, so he is not included in the table.


(2)	Reflects base salary as of the date of grant.


(3)	Reflects estimated value of LTIP awards at 100% of target.

The performance measures and weightings for the LTIP awards covering the 2015-2017 performance cycle and the applicable benchmarks against which Company performance is measured are the same as the performance measures and weightings for the LTIP awards covering the 2017-2019 performance cycle discussed above.

- 32 -

The financial measures and target performance factors used in the estimated calculation for the 2015-2017 performance cycle are described in more detail below.

Three-year average return on investment. Our modified three-year average return on total investment was 7.4%, which represents the average for the three-year performance period commencing January 1, 2015, and ending December 31, 2017. The Company defines total investment (capitalization) as total shareholders' equity plus total long-term debt (including current portion). Return on investment is net earnings divided by total investment as follows:



	(In Millions)
	2015		2016		2017
Net Earnings	$69.9		$67.3		$68.4
Total Equity	$552.6		$574.2		$654.2
Total Debt	$233.2		$418.0		$408.1
Total Capitalization	$785.8		$992.2		$1,062.3
Return on investment	8.9	%	6.8	%	6.4	%

Average Annual Compounded Growth in Earnings per Share. Our modified average annual compounded growth in diluted earnings per share represents the average diluted earnings per share growth rate over the three-year performance period, which is calculated as follows:



	2012	2013	2014	3 Year Average	2015	2016	2017	3 Year Average
Modified, Diluted EPS	$1.99	$2.17	$2.37	$2.18	$2.55	$2.47	$2.46	$2.49

Average Compounded Annual Growth = ($2.49 ÷ $2.18)^1/3 - 1 = 4.5%.

Three-Year Average Total Return to Shareholders. Return to shareholders combines share price appreciation and dividends reinvested. The total return to shareholders is based on a computation that is obtained from Standard & Poor’s Compustat, an independent research service. The Company’s average total return to shareholders for the performance period from 2015-2017 was 54.2%.

Financial performance below the 1st quartile results in no award payment; performance at the 1st quartile results in an award payment at 25% of target; performance at the median results in an award payment at 100% of target; and performance at the top of, or above, the 3rd quartile results in a maximum award payment at 200% of the target. Interpolation is used to determine payments for financial performance within these quartiles.

LTIP award payouts, if any, are generally made in June of the year following the end of the performance period. This payment date gives the Committee time to collect and analyze the complete performance results of the Russell 2000 companies for the performance period. As explained above, amounts earned for the performance period January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2017 are not yet determinable and are not reflected in the Summary Compensation Table. The Company will disclose actual payments for the performance period when they are made by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K.

The following chart compares the Company’s three-year (2015 - 2017) performance against the Russell 2000 Index companies for the same three-year period based on data available as of January 31, 2018.



KAMAN (2015-2017) VS. 3-YEAR RUSSELL 2000 (2015-2017)

	EPS Growth⁽¹⁾		ROI ⁽²⁾		TSR⁽³⁾
25th Percentile	(0.8	)%	(2.8	)%	(15.0	)%
50th Percentile	10.0	%	3.8	%	29.7	%
75th Percentile	22.1	%	8.0	%	72.1	%

Kaman	4.5	%	7.4	%	54.2	%
Russell Percentile	37.3	%	71.4	%	64.4	%

_______________

(1) Average annual compounded growth in earnings per share.

(2) Three-year average return on investment.

(3) Three-year average total return to shareholders.

- 33 -

As discussed above, the Summary Compensation Table does not include any amounts that have been accrued as expenses in relation to any of the LTIP awards that are expected to be settled in respect of the three-year performance period ended December 31, 2017 (although the table does reflect the grant date fair value of Mr. Steiner's special stock-based award in the year of grant). We will report the actual amounts earned and paid to our Named Executive Officers in respect of these awards in a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed with the SEC later this year after the Committee has received sufficient 2017 operating results for Russell 2000 companies and certified the extent to which the Company achieved the performance goals established for the awards.

Based on the preliminary data available as of January 31, 2018, discussed above, we have accrued the following amounts in respect of the cash-based LTIP awards: Mr. Keating - $3,783,753, Mr. Starr - $731,702, Mr. Steiner - $887,547, Mr. Smidler - $739,284, Mr. Lisle - $480,535 and Mr. Troy - $391,780. In addition, we have accrued the following additional amounts in respect of the special stock-based LTIP award: Mr. Steiner - 1,496 shares. SINCE ONLY 15.0% OF THE RUSSELL 2000 INDEX COMPANIES HAD REPORTED THEIR RESULTS AS OF JANUARY 31, 2018, THE COMPANY'S RELATIVE PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE RUSSELL 2000 INDEX COMPANIES MAY BE BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE PRELIMINARY DATA DISCUSSED ABOVE. MOREOVER, THE AMOUNTS ACCRUED ASSUME THE EXERCISE OF NEGATIVE DISCRETION TO REDUCE THE CORPORATE PERFORMANCE FACTORS IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME MANNER AND AMOUNT AS WAS APPLIED IN CONNECTION WITH THE FINAL DETERMINATION OF THE ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARD PAYOUTS. THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT YET ACTED ON THESE MATTERS AND IT RETAINS THE SOLE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHETHER, AND TO WHAT EXTENT, TO EXERCISE NEGATIVE DISCRETION. THEREFORE, THE ACTUAL PAYOUTS IN RESPECT OF THESE AWARDS AS FINALLY DETERMINED BY THE COMMITTEE MAY BE MORE OR LESS THAN THE AMOUNTS ACCRUED.

Retirement Benefits

The Company sponsors a tax-qualified defined contribution plan (the "401(k) plan"), in which our Named Executive Officers are eligible to participate. Participants generally may elect to contribute from 1% to 50% of their eligible compensation to the 401(k) plan in the form of pre-tax, after-tax or Roth contributions subject to certain limitations imposed by federal law. The Company generally makes employer-matching contributions on a participant's pre-tax and Roth contributions in the amount of $1.00 for each $1.00 that a participant contributes, up to 5% of compensation subject to applicable limits imposed by federal tax law. Participants in the 401(k) plan are always vested in their own contributions. Employer-matching contributions vest when a participant acquires three years of service with the Company.

Our Named Executive Officers are also eligible to participate in our non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan, which permits pre-tax deferrals of up to 50% of a participant's base salary and up to 100% of his or her annual cash incentive award. In addition, the Company makes supplemental deferred compensation contributions to eligible participants equal to 10% of the amount by which a participant's compensation exceeds the maximum allowable compensation limit for purposes of a tax-qualified plan, which for 2017 was $270,000. The supplemental deferred compensation earned by our Named Executive Officers in 2017 is included in the "All Other Compensation" section of the Summary Compensation Table.

Participant accounts under the Deferred Compensation Plan generally are credited with interest at a rate equal to 120% of the applicable federal long-term rate in effect for the month of October prior to the beginning of the applicable plan year (the "Interest Crediting Rate"). Effective as of July 1, 2016, however, the Deferred Compensation Plan was amended to make available to participants various market-based investment crediting options, including five pre-constructed "model" portfolios, for the deemed investment of up to 50% of their then-existing account balances as of July 11, 2016, and 100% of their own deferral contributions after July 11, 2016. All supplemental deferred compensation contributions made by the Company will continue to be credited with interest based on the annual Interest Crediting Rate in effect from time to time.

A participant must be actively employed on the crediting date (i.e., January 1 following the applicable plan year) to receive matching and supplemental deferred compensation contributions. Deferrals and all Company contributions and earnings are 100% vested. For more information about the Deferred Compensation Plan, please refer to "Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan" below.

Finally, some of our Named Executive Officers have accrued benefits under a tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan and a supplemental employees' retirement plan ("SERP"), both of which are now closed to new participants. The SERP generally provides benefits that the Company was unable to provide under the tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan due to federal tax law limits. See the discussion under the heading "Pension Benefits" for more information about the defined benefit pension plan and the SERP.

Other Benefits

Our Named Executive Officers are eligible to participate in the benefit plans that are generally available to our employees, which include health, dental, life insurance, vision and disability plans. The Company provides relatively few perquisites, consisting primarily of a vehicle allowance, an annual physical examination, executive life insurance, employer matching contributions under

- 34 -

our 401(k) plan and supplemental employer contributions under our Deferred Compensation Plan. In addition, the Company owns and operates a corporate jet for use by management for business purposes, which infrequently is made available to our Named Executive Officers for limited non-business use. Use of the corporate aircraft for non-business use is subject to availability and approval by our Chief Executive Officer. The aggregate incremental cost of a non-business trip would be reflected on the requesting executive's W-2 earnings statement for the year and such amount would be included in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table set forth above, although none of our Named Executive Officers utilized the corporate jet for non-business use during 2017. In addition, spouses and guests of executives infrequently ride along when the corporate aircraft is already going to a specific destination for a business purpose. This use involves little or no incremental cost to the Company. Where required by law, income is imputed to our Named Executive Officers, and all such amounts, if any, are included in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table.

Employment and Change in Control Arrangements

The Company currently has employment agreements with Messrs. Keating and Starr. Mr. Steiner had an employment agreement with the Company, which was superseded, except as provided therein, by the Steiner Retirement Agreement, pursuant to which his retirement from the Company became effective as of January 2, 2018. Mr. Smidler had an employment agreement with the Company which terminated, subject to the survival of certain provisions in accordance with its terms, upon termination of his employment with the Company on January 2, 2018. Messrs. Lisle, Lariviere and Troy currently do not have employment agreements. The Company currently has change in control agreements with each of our Named Executive Officers other than Messrs. Steiner and Smidler. The terms and conditions of the agreements are described in more detail below. Please see "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits."

The Committee approved the employment agreements in order to encourage the executives to remain with the Company, discourage competitors from attempting to hire those executives and protect the Company in the event that an executive departs by strictly prohibiting the disclosure of confidential information, limiting the executive’s ability to compete with the Company after employment termination, requiring the signing of a release agreement before the payment of severance benefits and imposing reasonable post-employment cooperation obligations. The Committee believes that the change in control agreements serve the interests of our Company and its shareholders by ensuring that, if a hostile or friendly change of control is ever under consideration, our executives will be able to advise our Board of Directors about the potential transaction in the best interests of shareholders, without being unduly influenced by personal considerations.

The employment agreements and change in control agreements with Mr. Keating and with Mr. Starr provide the Company with a right to "claw back" compensation paid or received, or to be paid or received, by these officers relating to Incentive Compensation (as defined in the agreements) paid or awarded to the executives where there is a Mandatory Restatement (as defined in the agreements) of the Company’s financial statements that arises directly from the fraudulent or knowing, intentional misconduct of the officer. The Committee intends to establish a claw-back policy for all executive officers after the SEC issues final rules and the NYSE issues listing conditions for the recovery of incentive compensation as required under the Dodd-Frank Act.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Since 2006, the Board has maintained stock ownership guidelines for both non-employee directors and corporate management. The Board believes that directors and senior management should have a significant equity position in the Company and that these guidelines further the Board’s interest in encouraging a longer-term focus in managing the Company. See "Information about the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance - Other Information about the Board’s Structure and Composition - Stock Ownership Guidelines" for further information regarding the stock ownership guidelines for non-employee directors.

The stock ownership guidelines for senior management require all covered executives to retain shares having a value equal to one-half of the net after-tax value of any equity award granted under the Company's equity-based compensation plans, until they achieve and continue to maintain the following stock ownership levels:



Position with the Company	Salary Multiple
President and CEO	3X
Participants in the LTIP	2X
All Other Corporate Vice Presidents and Designated Senior Executives	1X

The Committee reviews the stock ownership levels of executives subject to these guidelines on a quarterly basis, and the Corporate Governance Committee reviews the stock ownership levels of all non-employee directors.

- 35 -

When considering whether the guidelines have been achieved at any particular point in time, the value of a share of Company stock is the highest of (i) the closing price of a share of Company stock on the NYSE on the most recent trading day preceding the date of determination; (ii) the highest closing price of a share of Company stock on the NYSE on the last trading day of each of the last five years; or (iii) $39.54, which was the closing price of a share of Company stock on the NYSE on February 13, 2015, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Board amended and restated the guidelines.

For purposes of determining compliance with the guidelines, shares owned directly by a covered person or by his or her spouse or minor children, shares held in trust for the benefit of the covered person or for the benefit of his or her spouse or minor children, and unvested time-based restricted share awards and restricted stock units are included in the calculation of shares owned, but unvested performance share awards and unexercised stock options are excluded.

Each person subject to the guidelines is expected to use good faith efforts to attain the applicable stock ownership amount within a reasonable period of time after becoming subject to the guidelines or becoming subject to a higher ownership multiple, and is expected to continuously own a sufficient number of shares to meet the applicable stock ownership amount once it has been attained. Until the applicable stock ownership amount has been achieved, and thereafter whenever the applicable stock ownership amount has not been met, each person subject to the guidelines is expected to retain at least 50% of the shares of Company stock acquired upon grant, exercise or vesting of equity awards (including long-term performance awards payable in shares) granted under any equity compensation plan or program maintained by the Company, net of any shares surrendered to pay taxes and/or exercise prices. All shares of Company stock acquired upon the vesting of any long-term performance awards payable in cash will be expected to be retained until the applicable stock ownership amount has been attained.

As of December 31, 2017, each Named Executive Officer had achieved his targeted stock ownership amount, and several NEOs, including Mr. Keating, own Company stock well in excess of the prescribed amounts. Each non-employee director had also achieved his or her targeted stock ownership amount as of such date.

For more information about the stock holdings of our directors and Named Executive Officers, please see "Stock Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers" above.

Risk Assessment of Compensation Practices

During 2017, management, including the Company’s Internal Audit Department, reviewed existing incentive compensation programs in which executives who are not Named Executive Officers participate in order to confirm that such programs do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. Incentive compensation programs exist at our corporate headquarters and at both the Aerospace and Distribution segments and no particular business carries a significant portion of the Company’s overall risk profile. Stock incentive awards are also available under the Company’s incentive compensation plans for executives recommended by senior management at each business segment and at our corporate headquarters. These awards are determined based upon parameters developed by the P&C Committee’s independent compensation consultant and all awards are reviewed and approved by the P&C Committee. The cash incentive compensation program for corporate executives is subject to performance parameters and dollar limitations with supervisor recommendations reviewed and approved by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer. Cash incentive programs at the Aerospace segment tend to be discretionary in nature with review and approval of all recommendations by the division senior management as well as the Aerospace segment President. Cash incentive programs at the Distribution segment tend to be based upon degree of attainment of specific financial performance goals which, overall, are developed on a basis consistent with the segment’s longer-term financial goals. These programs are subject to review by the Company's Chief Human Resources Officer and the applicable segment's Vice President of Human Resources and segment President. On the basis of this review, management has concluded that the Company’s existing incentive programs applicable to non-named executive officers do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Short Sales, Hedging and Pledging

The Company’s Insider Trading Policy expressly prohibits directors, executive officers and other designated employees from engaging in short-term or speculative transactions in Company securities, including, among others, (i) short sales of Company securities; (ii) publicly traded options, puts, calls or other similar derivative securities; (iii) hedging or similar monetization transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts; and (iv) holding Company securities in a margin account or pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan.

Material Tax and Accounting Implications

Section 162(m) of the Code generally disallows a tax deduction to public companies for compensation paid in excess of $1 million for any fiscal year to certain specified covered employees. Under the rules in effect before 2018, compensation that qualified as “performance-based” under Section 162(m) was deductible without regard to this $1 million limit. The recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act generally eliminated the performance-based compensation exception under Section 162(m), effective January 1, 2018, subject to a special rule that “grandfathers” certain awards and arrangements that were in effect on or before November 2, 2017. To date, the IRS has not issued guidance interpreting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. While the Committee intended that short

- 36 -

and long-term cash incentive awards granted to our NEOs under the 2013 Management Incentive Plan on or prior to November 2, 2017 be deductible as "performance-based compensation," it cannot assure that result. The Committee has taken the potential impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into consideration when approving payout amounts for performance periods ending on December 31, 2017.

For purposes of the annual cash incentive awards for fiscal 2017 and the 2017-2019 LTIP Awards, no amounts are payable to the recipients unless the Company attains positive Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA in any fiscal year within the applicable Performance Cycle (the "Performance Goal"). Achievement of the Performance Goal triggers eligibility to receive up to the maximum amount available to be paid to each NEO thereunder, which amount is based on a percentage of base salary, subject to the Committee's ability to use negative discretion and determine the actual payment amount. For fiscal 2017, the Performance Goal was met and, the actual amount of the annual cash incentive awards for fiscal 2017 payable to each NEO was determined by the Committee using the formula and criteria described above under the subheading "Annual Cash Incentive Awards." Actual payments in respect of the 2017-2019 LTIP Awards will be determined by the Committee after the performance cycle is completed in accordance with the formula and criteria described above under the subheading "Long-Term Incentive Awards—2017 LTIP Awards." For purposes of the annual cash incentive awards for fiscal 2017 and the 2017-2019 LTIP Awards, "Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA" means, for a fiscal year during the Performance Cycle, the Company’s earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization on a consolidated basis as determined under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) excluding: (i) the effect of changes in GAAP after February 17, 2017 that adversely affect the Company’s reporting results and (ii) to the extent reported in the Company’s financial statements and notes thereto or disclosed in the Management’s Discussion & Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for such year: (A) costs and expenses incurred due to acquisitions and divestitures, including spin-offs, (B) losses associated with the operation or sale of discontinued operations, and (C) costs and expenses incurred due to reorganizations, restructurings (as determined in accordance with ASC 420 or ASC Topic 712) and any item of an unusual nature or of a type that indicates infrequency of occurrence, or both, determined in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s guidance.

Context of This Discussion

To the extent that the foregoing discussion contained future individual or Company performance targets and goals, they were disclosed solely to facilitate a better understanding of the Company’s executive compensation program. Such performance targets and goals should not be deemed to be statements of management's expectations or estimates of results or other guidance. We strongly encourage investors not to apply these statements in other contexts.

Personnel & Compensation Committee Report

The Personnel & Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed this Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management and concurs with its contents. Based on this review and discussion, the Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A and incorporated in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Personnel & Compensation Committee:

Richard J. Swift, Chair

Brian E. Barents

E. Reeves Callaway III

George E. Minnich

Jennifer M. Pollino

This report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating this proxy statement by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under such statutes, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates the report by reference therein.

- 37 -

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The table, footnotes and narrative below describe the aggregate compensation earned by each of our Named Executive Officers for our 2017, 2016 and 2015 fiscal years. For information on the role of each component of our executive compensation program, please see the discussion within the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section of this proxy statement.



Name and Principal Position	Year	Salary ($)	Bonus ($)	Stock Awards⁽¹⁾ ($)	Option Awards⁽²⁾ ($)	Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation⁽³⁾ ($)	Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings⁽⁴⁾ ($)	All Other Compensation⁽⁵⁾ ($)	Total ($)
Neal J. Keating Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer	2017	$992,000	—	—	—	$1,207,500	$245,909	$238,232	$2,683,641
	2016	$972,000	—	—	—	$4,395,505	$146,655	$229,421	$5,743,581
	2015	$945,750	—	—	—	$4,017,197	$188,659	$261,318	$5,412,924
Robert D. Starr Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer	2017	$462,100	—	—	—	$352,073	$35,041	$96,472	$945,686
	2016	$446,600	—	—	—	$1,000,481	$17,667	$91,783	$1,556,531
	2015	$413,000	—	—	—	$995,750	$15,128	$96,290	$1,520,168
Shawn G. Lisle Senior Vice President and General Counsel	2017	$375,250	—	—	—	$246,675	—	$67,423	$689,348
	2016	$355,250	—	—	—	$594,545	—	$68,138	$1,017,933
	2015	$344,000	—	—	—	$520,497	—	$73,574	$938,071
Alphonse J. Lariviere, Jr.⁽⁶⁾ Executive Vice President, Kaman Corporation and President, Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation	2017	$304,820	—	$78,454	$77,649	$103,312	$58,033	$55,602	$677,870


Gregory T. Troy⁽⁶⁾ Senior Vice President - Human Resources & Chief Human Resources Officer	2017	$349,760	—	—	—	$224,854	$10,281	$64,212	$649,107


Gregory L. Steiner⁽⁷⁾ Former Executive Vice President and President, Kaman Aerospace Group	2017	$466,375	—	—	—	$254,338	$123,077	$2,432,234	$3,276,024
	2016	$460,688	—	$51,512	—	$1,001,392	$47,692	$96,791	$1,658,075
	2015	$446,000	—	$49,524	—	$1,086,650	$68,976	$90,649	$1,741,799
Steven J. Smidler⁽⁸⁾ Former Executive Vice President and President, Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation	2017	$380,075	—	—	—	$178,535	—	$1,227,189	$1,785,799
	2016	$369,460	—	—	—	$800,778	—	$62,562	$1,232,800
	2015	$364,000	—	—	—	$729,727	—	$68,954	$1,162,681

(1)

Amounts shown in the Stock Awards column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of restricted stock granted to our Named Executive Officers in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 ("ASC 718"). Amounts shown for Mr. Steiner also include the grant date fair value of LTIP awards payable in shares of Common Stock. For a discussion of valuation assumptions, see Note 17 in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.


(2)	Amounts shown in the Option Awards column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options granted to our Named Executive Officers in accordance with ASC 718. For a discussion of valuation assumptions, see Note 17 in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

(3)

Amounts for 2017 represent annual cash incentive awards earned by the Named Executive Officers under our annual cash incentive plans, which are discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, but do not reflect amounts that cannot yet be determined but which may become due under outstanding LTIP awards for the 2015–2017 Performance Cycle. The Company will prepare and file a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the actual payouts in respect of these awards promptly after they are determined and approved by the Committee in June 2018. Amounts shown for 2016 have been adjusted to reflect the LTIP payouts approved in June 2017 in respect of LTIP awards for performance cycles ended December 31, 2016. Similarly, amounts shown for 2015 have been adjusted to reflect the LTIP payouts approved in June 2016 in respect of LTIP awards for performance cycles ended December 31, 2015. Our LTIP award program is discussed in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

(4)

Represents, to the extent applicable, the aggregate of (i) the total change in the present value of accrued benefits under our defined benefit pension plan and SERP, if applicable, from year to year, and (ii) above market or preferential earnings credited under the Company's non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan. Messrs. Smidler, Lisle and Troy joined the Company after our pension plan and SERP were closed to new participants, so they are not entitled to any pension benefits under these plans. Mr. Lariviere was appointed to his role after the SERP was closed, so he is not entitled to any SERP benefits. Messrs. Keating and Troy were credited with above market or preferential earnings under the Deferred Compensation Plan for 2017, in the amount of $415 and $10,281, respectively. None of the NEO's were credited with above market or preferential earnings under the Deferred Compensation Plan for years 2016 and 2015. All of these plans are discussed in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

(5)

The amounts included in this column consist of the following: Participation in our life insurance program for senior executives, employer matching contributions under our 401(k) Plan, supplemental employer contributions earned under our Deferred Compensation Plan, dividends on restricted stock awards, and perquisites consisting of payments for annual physical examinations, a vehicle allowance and personal use of corporate aircraft. The 2017 figures include supplemental deferred compensation earned for Messrs. Keating, Starr, Steiner, Smidler, Lisle, Lariviere and Troy of $165,498, $45,811, $31,157, $16,515, $28,429, $9,176 and $25,062, respectively. The 2017 figures also include a vehicle allowance of $33,420 for Mr. Keating, $26,460 for Messrs. Starr, Steiner and Smidler, $20,448 for Messrs. Lisle and Troy, and $17,908 for Mr. Lariviere; and $13,500 to each Named Executive Officer for the Company 401(k) match. Infrequently, spouses and guests of Named Executive Officers ride along on Company aircraft when the aircraft is already going

- 38 -

to a specific destination for a business purpose. This use involves little or no incremental cost to the Company. Where required by law, income was imputed to the Named Executive Officer for income tax purposes for the items described in this footnote and all such amounts are included in the table. The 2017 amounts for Messrs. Steiner and Smidler include severance paid in cash, acceleration of restricted stock units and LTIP payable in stock, for Mr. Steiner, accrued life insurance premiums for life, for Mr. Steiner, and 24 months for Mr. Smidler and accrued health cost premiums for 24 months. The combined total separation costs are $2,346,942 for Mr. Steiner and $1,161,267 for Mr. Smidler. Also see the Post-Termination Benefits Table in the Post-Termination Payments and Benefits section of this proxy statement for more details about these benefits and other benefits that will become payable to each executive.


(6)	Messrs. Lariviere and Troy became Named Executive Officers in our 2017 fiscal year. Compensation information for 2015 and 2016 has been omitted pursuant to applicable SEC rules and regulations.


(7)	Ceased serving as Executive Vice President and President, Kaman Aerospace Group, Inc. as of October 1, 2017, and retired from the Company effective as of January 2, 2018.


(8)	Ceased serving as Executive Vice President and President, Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation as of November 9, 2017, and employment with the Company terminated effective as of January 2, 2018.

Employment and Change in Control Agreements

We currently have employment agreements with Messrs. Keating and Starr. Mr. Steiner had an employment agreement with the Company, which was superseded, except as provided therein, by the Steiner Retirement Agreement, pursuant to which his retirement from the Company became effective as of January 2, 2018. Mr. Smidler had an employment agreement (the "Smidler Employment Agreement") with the Company which terminated, subject to the survival of certain provisions in accordance with its terms, upon termination of his employment with the Company on January 2, 2018. Messrs. Lisle, Lariviere and Troy currently do not have employment agreements. We currently have change in control agreements with each of our Named Executive Officers, other than Messrs. Steiner and Smidler, the terms of which are summarized below under the caption, "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits."

The employment agreements generally renew each year for additional one-year renewal periods unless, at least ninety days before the end of the then-current term, the Company or the executive notifies the other that the agreement in question shall terminate upon its scheduled expiration date. The elements of compensation and benefits that are reflected in the Summary Compensation Table were provided according to the terms of the employment agreements and the compensation and benefit plans in place during 2017; however, the Company reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of its compensation and benefit plans. These agreements further provide for participation in our employee benefit programs generally applicable to our senior executives, except that Mr. Keating is entitled to continued premium payments for his lifetime under our Senior Executive Life Insurance Program. The estimated post-termination compensation payable to our Named Executive Officers under these agreements is described in detail below under the caption, "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits."

Steiner Retirement Agreement

Under the Steiner Retirement Agreement, Mr. Steiner ceased to be President of the Aerospace segment as of October 1, 2017 and agreed, to ensure an orderly transition, to remain employed with the Company until January 2, 2018. Under the Steiner Retirement Agreement, in return for Mr. Steiner's release and assistance during the transition period and in lieu of any payments which would have been due under Mr. Steiner's employment agreement, the Company agreed to make certain payments and provide certain benefits as described in detail below under the caption, "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits—Steiner Retirement Agreement." Certain of the payments and benefits described therein were accrued during 2017 and are reflected in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table.

Smidler Employment Agreement

Mr. Smidler ceased to be President of the Distribution segment as of November 9, 2017 and remained employed with the Company until January 2, 2018. Under the Smidler Employment Agreement, the Company is or was required to make certain payments and provide certain benefits as described in detail below under the caption, "Post-Termination Payments and Benefits—Employment Agreements—Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason." Certain of the payments and benefits described therein were accrued during 2017 and are reflected in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table.

- 39 -

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2017 Fiscal Year

The following grants were made during the 2017 fiscal year to our Named Executive Officers pursuant to the Company’s 2013 Management Incentive Plan.

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS TABLE



		Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards			Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards			All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units (#)	All Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options (#)	Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/Sh)	Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)
Name	Grant Date	Threshold ($)	Target ($)	Maximum ($)	Threshold (#)	Target (#)	Maximum (#)			Exercise or Base Price of Option Awards ($/Sh)	Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)
Neal J. Keating	2/17/2017⁽¹⁾	—	$1,050,000	$2,100,000	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	2/17/2017⁽²⁾	—	$2,952,000	$5,904,000