TEWKSBURY, Mass., June 23, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company yesterday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its HAWK air defense system's first successful aerial engagement by hosting a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. The event featured Raytheon Chairman and CEO Bill Swanson and close to 200 Raytheon employees and customers.

Discussions throughout the evening focused on technological advancements that enabled the HAWK program to evolve to meet air defense challenges through five decades of service, as well as how the advanced HAWK XXI system will provide premier capabilities into the future.

"The history of the HAWK system is a history of pride and reliability -- in ownership for the performance, sustained partnerships and no doubt products and whole-life services we deliver to our nation's protectors and those of our allies," said Dan Smith, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "HAWK has been and continues to be a remarkably adaptable, affordable and agile system that not only laid the groundwork for Patriot and SL-AMRAAM, but continues to provide our allies with air defense reliability now and into the future."

At the peak of its use, HAWK provided unmatched frontline service to the U.S. military, as well as 20 allied nations worldwide. An exclamation point to the effectiveness of the HAWK system's capabilities came during the opening hours of the first Gulf War when Kuwaiti troops used their HAWK batteries to down 22 attacking planes.

HAWK's adaptability and versatility through five decades of emerging air defense challenges provide testimony of the system's innovative design set forth by Raytheon and U.S. Army engineers. HAWK was originally conceived as a low-altitude air-defense system to counter the intensifying cold war threats of the 1950s. It became operational in 1959. Today, after technological advancements, HAWK continues to serve the air defense needs of key American allies.

Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. armed forces.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2005 sales of $21.9 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:

On June 22, 1956, HAWK downed a drone target in its first guided flight test held at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

  Contact:
  Guy Shields
  978.858.5246

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

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

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