McKINNEY, Texas, May 23, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $16.5 million U.S. Army contract to provide the electro- optic/infrared/laser designator (EO/IR/LD) payload for use on the Army's Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) is responsible for the ERMP multi-sensor payload, which will be manufactured and managed by its Precision Attack and Surveillance Systems (PASS) business area based in McKinney, Texas.

"We welcome the opportunity to bring industry-leading reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition performance to the Army's ERMP UAV," said PASS Vice President Mike Proch. "In doing so, Raytheon will leverage its long heritage of proven EO/IR expertise to provide dependable unmanned airborne sensor technology -- advanced technology that captures the information today's soldiers require to assure mission success and retain battlespace dominance."

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems is the leading provider of sensor systems giving warfighters the most accurate and timely information available for the network-centric battlefield.

With 2004 revenues of $4.0 billion and 13,000 employees, SAS is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., with additional facilities in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.

Raytheon Company, 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
   Dave Desilets
   972-952-2239 office
   David_C_Desilets@raytheon.com

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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