WALTHAM, Mass., March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been named a 2015 Laureate Award winner by Aviation Week for innovation in introducing gallium nitride (GaN)-based technology to military radar systems. Advancing the capability of radars and other types of sensors, GaN radio frequency (RF) amplifiers are more than five times more powerful than semiconductors presently used. For military systems, GaN delivers higher performance as well as significant cost benefit.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Advanced Technology Programs team has a fifteen-year history of GaN innovation that has shaped today's radar discrimination technology. Partnerships with organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) have advanced the development, production and integration of amplifiers based on GaN technology.

GaN produced in Raytheon's DoD trusted foundry, located in Andover, MA, has been recognized by DoD for achieving a Manufacturing Readiness Level production capability of "8," the highest level obtained by any organization in the defense industry for this technology. The foundry provides a center of excellence for ongoing programs that require design and fabrication of military RF amplifiers and modules.

"We are honored to be recognized for our ground breaking advancements in GaN technology and for demonstrating how GaN can benefit defense systems across all domains," said Mark E. Russell, vice president of Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance for Raytheon. "Raytheon is the leading GaN innovator and will continue to explore opportunities to leverage GaN's capabilities to drive performance and affordability for our customers."

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 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 cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @Raytheon.

Raytheon Company
Integrated Defense Systems
Tewksbury, Mass.

Media Contact
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idspr@raytheon.com

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SOURCE Raytheon Company