MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 15, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company was awarded an initial $12.5 million contract to supply the U.S. Army with next-generation radios that enable more efficient communication in congested battlefield environments.

"The Enhanced Position Location Reporting System Extended Frequency, or EPLRS-XF, radio gives the warfighter high-speed, on-the-move video and data exchange capabilities for a broad range of applications," said Jerry Powlen, vice president, Network Centric Systems' Integrated Communications Systems. "We continue to evolve EPLRS and our networked communications capabilities to deliver the most advanced solutions to our troops."

EPLRS-XF uses the latest mobile ad-hoc networked technology to automatically and continually adapt to network changes. The radio offers seamless interoperability and compatibility with Internet Protocol-based systems and has an extended radio-frequency range and narrow-frequency bandwidth operating modes.

Further technology advances are underway for EPLRS-XF, including work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for additional flexibility and capability. More than 22,000 EPLRS radios are currently fielded across the U.S. Armed Services, providing the largest integrated tactical data network for today's highly mobile fighting force.

Raytheon Company, with 2008 sales of $23.2 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 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 73,000 people worldwide.

Notes to Editors:

Internet Protocol is the standard method data are sent from one endpoint to another using the Internet. Mobile ad-hoc networking protocols are software-defined algorithms used to route data in a highly mobile, wireless communication network without a fixed infrastructure. Work is underway to incorporate the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's dynamic spectrum access techniques for additional flexibility and capability. DSA is a technique that monitors, adapts and uses frequency resources depending on current usage, closely following rules and guidelines established for sharing resources.

    Contact:
    Meredith Stoffel
    508.490.3149

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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

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