TEWKSBURY, Mass., Sept. 26, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $5.3 million Marine Corps Systems Command contract for the fifth and sixth production systems for the Complementary Low Altitude Weapon System (CLAWS).

CLAWS is an advanced air defense guided missile system launcher. It combines combat proven Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. This expeditionary air defense system will complement current Marine Corps Avenger-based systems by providing beyond visual range air defense against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other advanced threats.

"We have a strong relationship with the U.S. Marines. We're proud to have this opportunity to give our warfighters this reliable air defense system that they need to successfully accomplish their mission," said Juan Garcia, Raytheon CLAWS program manager. "CLAWS provides our Marines with the critical, lethal low altitude air defense capability our warfighters need to continue to meet current and emerging threats with confidence."

CLAWS combines a critical lethal low altitude air defense with rapid deployment, high firepower, all-weather standoff capability to defeat threat aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in global, regional and littoral conflicts beyond the range and capabilities of currently fielded U.S. Marine Corps air defense systems. CLAWS is currently conducting government operational tests.

Work will be performed in Raytheon's Integrated Air Defense Center in Andover, Mass., and is expected to be completed June 2006.

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, 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/