TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 23, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems business achieved Capability Maturity Model Integration level 5, the highest level under the CMMI® model.

"CMMI measures business process maturity and provides our customers with a way to assess risks and predict performance," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "This achievement validates that Missile Systems operates at the highest levels of performance excellence and highlights our commitment to quality and Mission Assurance."

The audit team evaluated hardware, software, systems engineering, program management and supply chain management.

CMMI is an industry-recognized standard for benchmarking process integration and improvement in systems engineering, software engineering, integrated product and process development, and supplier selection management process disciplines. The certification process is recognized as a best practice in both commercial and defense industries.

"Achieving this certification places Missile Systems among an elite group of companies operating at CMMI level 5," said Mike Costas, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Quality and Mission Effectiveness.

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.

Capability Maturity Model and CMMI are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University

    Contact:
    John Patterson
    520.440.2194 (mobile)
    520.794.4559 (office)
    John_B_Patterson@raytheon.com

SOURCE Raytheon Company

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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

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