TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 12, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon Company-led team has successfully demonstrated the rocket motor for its Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS™ II) 2.75-inch laser guided weapon system.

The five static test firings at the Aerojet test facility in Orange, Calif., in September 2005, proved the design maturity of the innovative tailfin and nozzle assembly, the operational reliability and the successful integration of the tail fin assembly with the existing MK66 rocket motor.

A major benefit of the tail fin modification is the reduced ballistic dispersion of both guided and unguided rockets, which was proven by six berm tests in October, 2005, at Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, Socorro, N.M., and 13 ballistic test firings in October at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. All demonstrated the predicted performance improvements.

The test also validated the capability of the Raytheon team to configure, integrate and fire the APKWS II system from a standard M209 Army and M201 Navy launcher.

"The test was a significant milestone for the Raytheon team and is a technical separator from our competition," said Ken Pedersen, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Advanced Programs. "Our APKWS II system reuses advanced precision fires technologies that are being fully matured under a wide range of tri-service programs, significantly reducing development time, cost and risk."

APKWS II will be a multi-service, multi-user, multi-platform system designed to engage and destroy stationary, re-locatable and moving targets ranging from buildings and bunkers to tactical vehicles. The weapon is also optimized to fight in today's urban and complex terrain environment and destroy small naval targets such as patrol craft.

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.

Note to editors: "APKWS" is nomenclature and a trademark of the Department of the Army and is used with permission of the Army.

  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/