PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KAUAI, Hawaii, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) completed the first successful flight test of the Standard Missile-3 Block IB, which is the cornerstone of phase two of the administration's Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA). This is the 20th successful intercept for Raytheon's SM-3 program. 

"This next-generation variant of the SM-3 is critical to the ballistic missile defense of the U.S. and our allies, because it can defeat the more sophisticated threats emerging around the world today," said Dr. Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president.

During the test, the target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai. As the target rose above the horizon, the USS Lake Erie's SPY-1 radar acquired and began tracking the target. After target launch, the ship's crew fired a SM-3 Block IB. During flight, the missile's kinetic warhead acquired the target with its two-color infrared seeker and tracked it through intercept.

Raytheon's SM-3 Block IB is based on the highly successful SM-3 Block IA, which is currently deployed as part of the first phase of the PAA.

"Raytheon has delivered more than 130 SM-3 Block IAs ahead of schedule and under cost," said Wes Kremer, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air and Missile Defense Systems product line. "We are on track to deliver the SM-3 Block IB to the nation by 2015 for deployment at sea and ashore."

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2011 sales of $25 billion and 71,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 90 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. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @raytheon.

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SOURCE Raytheon Company