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Raytheon's ERGM Guides into Success
TUCSON, Ariz., Feb. 17, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company successfully fired two tactical ERGM (Extended Range Guided Munition) rounds at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Feb. 16. Both rounds exited the gun after transferring through a severe gun environment; additionally the tails erected and the rocket motor ignited. Moreover, both rounds achieved stable flight, acquired and tracked GPS satellites, developed in-flight navigational solutions, and guided to the target area more than 40 nautical miles away. The first round flew into the target arena and detonated the warhead. "Meeting today's objectives with tactically configured rounds validate our technical advancements in the component structure and set the stage for the land based test flight series to begin," says David Martin, Raytheon Projectiles product line vice president. "With the performance we saw today, we've completed the final engineering flight test, gained valuable total system performance data, and demonstrated a revolutionary capability that will fill the gap in naval surface fires as soon as possible with one of the first precision guided munitions to be fired from a gun." Raytheon Missile Systems is the leading developer of guided projectiles with Excalibur (155mm) and ERGM (5 inch) that will provide the precision U.S. forces need on the battlefield as soon as possible. This family of precision- guided munitions delivers rounds with great accuracy and avoids high incidents of collateral damage while destroying an enemy in the complex urban or mountainous environment. Excalibur and ERGM leverage many common components and partner with suppliers to produce two low cost and reliable weapon systems that meet or exceed all customer-defined requirements. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide. Contact: Ange Jaskiewicz 520.794.8580 SOURCE: Raytheon Company Web site: http://www.raytheon.com/