TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company and the NetFires Limited Liability Company (LLC), a company composed of Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, have selected General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), to be the warhead provider for the Non Line of Sight- Launch System (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile (PAM).

The selection was based on an eight-month competition among warhead manufacturers to meet the design and performance parameters of the PAM missile. As part of the competition, each bidder was required to participate in extensive live fire testing to demonstrate its warhead's effectiveness against the U.S. Army and Navy required target set, as well as its ability to meet stringent insensitive munitions requirements. The estimated contract value is expected to be in excess of $70 million over the life of the program.

The PAM missile, developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) NetFires program, successfully conducted numerous flight tests during the DARPA program. That program focused on innovative design and performance of a compact, networked, precision attack missile launched from a self contained, platform independent launcher but did not include the provisions to design and demonstrate a warhead.

NLOS-LS is currently in the system development and demonstration phase of the program for the Army. Work under this contract began in 2004. The GD-OTS warhead will be built, assembled and tested at the General Dynamics facility at Niceville, Fla.

"We're very pleased with the demonstrated performance of the General Dynamics warhead. It clearly meets every design and performance parameter required for the Precision Attack Missile," said Scott Speet, executive vice president of the NetFires LLC and Raytheon's NLOS-LS program director. "The selection of the General Dynamics warhead is a critical step on our path for successfully meeting our cost, performance and schedule requirements leading to preliminary design review of the PAM missile."

Richard P. Davitt, vice president of Precision Systems for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, said, "General Dynamics is pleased to have been selected by Raytheon's NLOS-LS team to provide the advanced warhead for the Precision Attack Missile. We look forward to extending our legacy of fielding world-class warhead capability as a vital contributor to the PAM development program. We are proud to partner with Raytheon in the NLOS-LS program that will provide critical warfighting capabilities for the future force."

The NLOS-LS system consists of Raytheon's Precision Attack Missile (PAM), Lockheed Martin's Loitering Attack Missile (LAM) and a joint Container Launch Unit (CLU). In 2004, the Army accelerated fielding of the Raytheon PAM and CLU to the Army's Evaluation Brigade Combat Team into Spin Out 1 in fiscal year 2008.

NLOS-LS provides a commander with immediate, precise and responsive fires on high payoff targets with real time target acquisition and battle effects. PAM is a direct attack missile that is effective against moving and stationary targets at ranges from zero to 40 km and effective against hard and soft targets. The missile includes a networked datalink that provides in-flight updates to each missile with ground and airborne sensor nodes and has a large multi-mode warhead effective against both hard and soft targets.

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:
   Sara Hammond
   520.794.7810

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Sara Hammond of Raytheon Company, +1-520-794-7810

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