ANDOVER, Mass., Oct. 9, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Defense has accredited Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) semiconductor foundry -- Raytheon Radio Frequency Components (RRFC) -- as a DoD Category 1A Trusted Foundry.

The Category 1A designation, the highest awarded by the DoD, recognizes Raytheon's support of Mission Assurance Category I, orMAC I, systems determined to be vital to the operational readiness or mission effectiveness of deployed and contingency forces. MAC I systems require the most stringent protection measures.

"This accreditation reflects our capability to provide the most rigorous protection measures required by the Department of Defense for gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN) foundries," said Mike Delcheccolo, vice president of Engineering for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

The RRFC foundry, located at Raytheon's Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass., is a leader in compound semiconductor technology development, products and services for military and homeland security applications. Foundry capabilities include design, development and manufacturing of GaAs and GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuits and modules for advanced radar, electronic warfare, communications and weapon systems.

Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Global Capabilities Integration, providing affordable, integrated solutions to a broad international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Homeland Security.

Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 86 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. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

  Contact:
  Michele Lemos
  978.858.5850

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Michele Lemos of Raytheon Company, +1-978-858-5850

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