TEWKSBURY, Mass., Nov. 3, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) program received the go-ahead to continue further software build and fire unit development after conducting a successful system/software requirements review and a successful critical design review.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Surface Launched AMRAAM system of systems provides the warfighter a tailorable, state of the art air defense system that can defeat current and emerging cruise missile and a wide range of air breathing threats.

"These reviews were the result of close collaboration with our government partners to provide an effective and fully-integrated mobile air defense solution to the warfighter," said James Wells, Raytheon IDS SLAMRAAM program manager. "This system is very important to our joint warfighter because it maximizes the warfighter's capability against the current and evolving low- altitude cruise missile threats, improves system survivability and provides growth capabilities through an open architecture-based integrated fires control network."

Members from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and Raytheon Joint Product team conducted the two-day system/software requirements review. After the review, the SLAMRAAM program received authorization to proceed with software build 2 development. Build 2 is the second of two software builds on the program that will provide SLAMRAAM integrated fire control network capabilities.

"We're very, very satisfied where the program is to date," said U.S. Army SLAMRAAM Product Manager Lt. Col. Walt Jones. "The successful reviews are a reflection of committed teamwork to ensure our warfighters get the system they need."

The team then conducted a successful two-day fire unit critical design review, resulting in the approval to proceed into fabrication, assembly and testing of five SLAMRAAM prototype fire units. The SLAMRAAM fire unit, derived from the Marine Corps CLAWS (Complementary Low Altitude Weapons System) program, is designed to integrate into the SLAMRAAM open architecture- based integrated fire control network to provide enhanced capability against the cruise missile and unmanned air vehicle threats for Army and joint forces.

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

CONTACT: Guy Shields of Raytheon Company, +1-978-858-5246

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