FULLERTON, Calif., Jan. 9, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) is developing advanced technology improvements to its Firefinder ground weapon locating radars that will extend system service life and significantly reduce customer life cycle costs. State-of-the-art electronics will boost the system's reliability, maintainability and performance. Reliability, measured in mean time between failure, will improve by approximately 300 percent.

The Firefinder family includes the AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 radars that automatically detect, track and locate enemy mortars, artillery and rocket projectiles. Both systems allow friendly forces to engage hostile targets with high precision.

TRS will upgrade the medium range TPQ-36 radar with state-of-the-art electronics that come from the improved AN/TPQ-64 Sentinel radar. Upgraded Sentinel electronics, now in production, leverage more than ten years of improvements that allow customers of both systems to use a common electronics package to support both radars. Upgraded TPQ-36 radars will share 80 percent commonality with the improved TPQ-64 radars and will allow users of both systems to save logistics costs.

TPQ-37 upgrades deliver benefits of significantly higher reliability, improved maintainability and performance derived from a modular transmitter. The upgrade program replaces existing liquid cooled radar transmitters with a new air-cooled system that will provide simplified maintenance and graceful degradation. Customers can procure the improved Firefinder as complete systems or as an affordable installation kit.

"Firefinder has been the free world's benchmark in weapon locating radars for more than 30 years," said Kim Kerry, chief executive officer of ThalesRaytheonSystems, U.S. Operations. "These improvements will greatly improve Firefinders' reliability and maintainability and will significantly reduce operations and maintenance costs."

ThalesRaytheonSystems is an equally owned transatlantic joint venture between Raytheon Company and Thales Group. ThalesRaytheonSystems is a worldwide supplier of air defense command and control centers and ground based battlefield radars. The company's annual revenue is $700 million and it employs 1,500 people.

  Contact:
   In the United States                    In Europe
   Vicki Boatman                           Isabelle Blackburn
   714-446-4600                            +33.1.69.75.5098

SOURCE: ThalesRaytheonSystems

CONTACT: Vicki Boatman, +1-714-446-4600, or Isabelle Blackburn,
+33.1.69.75.5098 both of ThalesRaytheonSystems