CANBERRA, Australia, June 2  /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Australia, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), has been awarded a $51.8
million (A$74 million) contract by the Commonwealth of Australia to provide
new F/A-18 Hornet flight simulators to the Royal Australian Air Force.

    The Hornet Air Crew Training System (HACTS) program will deliver two new
simulators and a debrief facility in 2006 to Williamtown in New South Wales
and one simulator and debrief facility to Tindal, Northern Territory.  The new
simulators reflect the latest Hornet Phase 2.2 upgrade configuration.

    Managing Director of Raytheon Australia Ron Fisher said: "The simulators
will improve training for pilots by allowing them to do advanced tactical
training, that is, training in a synthetic combat environment with other
friendly or hostile aircraft, in a simulator. This acquisition by the
Commonwealth provides the latest simulator technology while minimising risk
and costs by building on the U.S. Navy's investment in Hornet simulators."

    The F/A-18 simulators incorporate advanced, open networking infrastructure
to enable individual and multiple pilot training, maximising the capability
for the pilots to train tactically. A number of Australian airfields will be
modelled to allow pilots to train over a variety of Australian simulated
terrain.  The existing simulator facilities will require some modification,
and Raytheon will provide in-service support for the new simulators through to
the withdrawal of the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.

    Production of the new RAAF Hornet simulators will be sub-contracted to L-3
Communications Link Simulation and Training Division, Arlington, Texas.  Link
is under contract to provide more than a dozen Hornet simulators of similar
type to the U.S. Navy and will produce a combination of 16 Hornet simulators
and part task trainers for the Canadian forces.  Link is recognized as the
world leader in Hornet tactical flight simulators.

    Raytheon Company, with 2003 sales of $18.1 billion, is an industry leader
in defense and government electronics, space, information technology,
technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.  With
headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide.


  Contact:
   Nigel Catchlove
   +61 2 6122 0200


SOURCE: Raytheon Company

Web site:  http://www.raytheon.com/