TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 4, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company has been awarded a contract to continue upgrading Patriot missiles by adding the capability to engage and destroy cruise and ballistic missiles.

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., issued the $77.4 million contract to upgrade 166 Patriot Advanced Configuration-2 missiles to Guidance Enhanced Missiles-Tactical (GEM-T).

"Upgrading Patriot PAC-2 missiles to GEM-Ts ensures that the Army and our other Patriot partners have the capability to defend against advanced air-breathing and tactical ballistic missiles," said Skip Garrett, vice president and deputy for Patriot Programs at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). "Raytheon remains dedicated to continuously improving Patriot hardware and software to ensure that Patriots can defeat all known and potential threats."

Work for this contract will be performed by Raytheon IDS at the Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass., through August 2011.

Raytheon is the prime contractor for the Patriot system and integration of all variants.

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:
    Mike Nason
    703.419.1421

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/149999.html

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/742575 .html