ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), acting through its Missile Systems business, and Chemring have agreed to develop a naval capability to defend against surface targets, for use on ships ranging in size from small patrol boats to large combatants. A briefing was being held Tuesday at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, IDEX 2013, to discuss the development.

"This initiative combines Chemring's innovative multi-mission launcher, CENTURION^®, with a variety of Raytheon's combat-tested missiles to provide a sea-based, inside-the-horizon defensive system," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval and Area Mission Defense product line. "Our Raytheon-Chemring team will combine a multifunction decoy and missile launcher with world-class missiles and existing ship systems to provide a new mission capability to meet our customers' specific self-defense needs."

Currently in the integration engineering phase, live-fire testing of the new mission defense system is scheduled for mid-2013. Testing is expected to include at least two different missiles in order to establish a multi-mission capacity against maneuvering surface threats such as fast inshore attack craft.

Low Cost Anti-Surface Weapon System
The solution to counter fast inshore attack craft consists of a variety of Raytheon missiles with ranges matched to the intended target. The missiles will be fired from the Chemring CENTURION launcher, with initial target detection, tracking and identification provided by the ship's sensors.

"Our shared goal is to generate a low-cost, effective and versatile solution to increase naval platform protection," said Mark Papworth, chief executive of Chemring Group. "Thanks to a layered-defense approach capitalizing on the versatility of the CENTURION launcher and Raytheon's missiles, users will have a multi-mission capability using a single-launch platform."

About Chemring
Chemring is a manufacturing business with facilities in seven countries selling high-technology electronics and energetic products to over 60 countries. The company has a diverse portfolio of products protecting military personnel and platforms against a constantly changing threat. Operating in high margin, niche markets with short product development timescales, Chemring has the agility to rapidly react to urgent customer needs. Adopting a balanced strategy of organic growth and small bolt-on acquisitions, Chemring maintains balanced geographic and market profiles, with a growing presence in non-NATO countries. Strong research and development investment for new products and improvements in technology allows Chemring to expand its addressable markets. For more information, please visit www.chemring.co.uk.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2012 sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 91 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems; as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @raytheon.

Media Contacts

Raytheon Company
Missile Systems

Abu Dhabi
John Patterson
+1.520.440.2194

Louisville, Ky.
John Eagles
+1.502.364.6768
rmspr@raytheon.com

Chemring Group

Abu Dhabi
Steve Kerchey
+44 (0) 7590 444 846

Salisbury, U.K.
Rupert Pittman
+44 (0) 1489 881 880
info@chemringcm.com

SOURCE Raytheon Company