TEWKSBURY, Mass., Sept. 15, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), Portsmouth, RI, is being awarded an undefinitized Firm Fixed Price/Cost Plus Fixed Fee letter contract at a Not-To-Exceed price of $54,964,000 for the Low Rate Initial Production of the AN/AQS-20A Sonar, Mine Detecting Set. The U.S. Navy Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare is acquiring the system to detect, classify, and localize mines to help ships avoid them and support mine-clearing operations.

The AQS-20A is the primary mine-hunting system to be integrated into the U.S. Navy's MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures Helicopters. It is also the primary mine-hunting Mission System for the Littoral Combat Ship Flight 0, where it will be towed by the AN/WLD-1 semi-submersible autonomous vehicle. This reliable system is towed undersea to scan the sea bottom and the water in front and to the sides of the vehicle for anti-shipping mines, providing the Navy this critical detection capability. The system uses sonar and electro- optical sensors to provide high-resolution images of mine-like objects and high-precision location information.

"With the AQS-20A, the fleet will have the most advanced mine counter- measure capabilities in the world," said Dan Martin, vice president, Surveillance & Sensor Systems of Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems.

"This contract is a testament to our on-going partnership with the U.S. Navy and the advanced technology we offer in undersea sensor systems," added Martin.

Work on the contract will be performed at Raytheon IDS's Naval Integration Center in Portsmouth, R.I. and Arete Associates in Tucson, Ariz.

Based in Tewksbury, Mass., Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in joint battlespace integration. With a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Armed Forces, Integrated Defense Systems provides a wide spectrum of, integrated air and missile defense and naval and maritime warfighting solutions.

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:
   Guy Shields
   978.858.5246

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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