CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon BBN Technologies has been awarded $3 million in government funding to explore new methods of modeling the brain's ability to make sense of large amounts of haphazard, partial information. The research could have commercial and military benefits, such as helping the intelligence community analyze fast-moving battlefield video, audio, and text data quickly and accurately. BBN is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN).

The funding for the venture came from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), part of the Integrated Cognitive-Neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICARUS) program. It is overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"BBN has a history of tackling tough challenges and producing transformative solutions that make us more secure," said Rusty Bobrow, ICARUS principal investigator at Raytheon BBN Technologies. "IARPA's ICARUS program explores groundbreaking approaches to 'sensemaking' and will help maintain U.S. intelligence superiority."

Founded two years ago, IARPA invests in long-range, high-risk/high-payoff research programs that have the potential to provide the U.S. with an overwhelming intelligence advantage.

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 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 89 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.

Joyce Kuzmin
617.873.8120
pr@bbn.com

SOURCE Raytheon Company