TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 11, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems business was awarded more than $500 million in contracts in the final weeks of 2005.

The company received a $152.5 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command on Dec. 22 for production of the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) for the U.S. Navy and six other allied nations. ESSM is an international cooperative program that is part of the 12 nation NATO SeaSparrow Consortium.

"For several of the procuring navies, ESSM is the primary anti-air warfare weapon," said Brent Holtzen, ESSM program director. "ESSM has demonstrated its capabilities by successfully engaging subsonic, supersonic, low-altitude and maneuvering threat-representative targets."

The contract calls for production of 198 missiles, associated spares and shipping containers for Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Australia and the United States. Fifty percent of the work will be done by Raytheon and 50 percent by the program's international partners. ESSM provides ship self-defense and local area defense against high-speed, highly maneuverable anti-ship cruise missiles.

Other recent contract awards from the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.:

  * $235.7 million for Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA and Block IIIB
    production for foreign military sales, Dec. 30;
  * $24.8 million for Rolling Airframe Missiles for foreign military sales,
   Dec. 21;
  * $10.9 million for SM-2 test sets and other equipment, Dec. 22.

Contracts from Headquarters Medium Range Missile Systems Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.:

  * $50.7 million for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles for foreign
   military sales, Dec. 28;
  * $8 million for AMRAAM equipment, Dec. 28.

  Contracts from the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md.:
  * $10.8 million for Joint Stand-Off Weapon test equipment, Dec. 28;
  * $8.8 million for SSGN modification kits for the Composite Capsule Launch
    System, Dec. 22.

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:
  Sara Hammond
  520.794.7810

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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

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