TUCSON, Ariz., July 17, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's Paveway™ IV dual-mode precision guided weapon was successfully dropped from a United Kingdom Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 in a test over the Aberporth Range in Wales. The test saw the weapon hit within requirements from its intended target.

Paveway IV is the next generation of the combat-proven Paveway™ family of precision guided munitions. It is jointly developed by Raytheon Systems Limited in the U.K. and Raytheon Missile Systems in the United States.

"We believe Paveway IV will be the weapon of choice for the next 20 years," said Capt. Howard Holdsworth, Royal Navy, Precision Guided Bomb Integration Project team leader. "Paveway IV offers our pilots greatly expanded capabilities over the Enhanced Paveway™ II we have been using with great success."

Paveway IV, developed from the foundation of the combat-proven Enhanced Paveway™ II, offers warfighters expanded capabilities. These include the highly lethal penetrating 500-pound MK82 warhead, height-of-burst sensor, advanced programmable fuze, in-weapon LAR (launch acceptability region) generation and advanced guidance algorithm that takes full advantage of the new warhead while maximizing its fly-out performance.

Paveway IV also features MEMS IMU (microelectro-mechanical space system inertial measurement unit) that provides required accuracy using a more compact, less expensive system. Also featured is the RAPToR (Raytheon Anti-jam Protection Technology Receiver), the most advanced military GPS technology available. Production deliveries are scheduled to begin in September.

"This successful trial is the first in a series of risk reduction drops that are planned to ensure the Paveway IV weapon enters service on time and to requirement to meet the warfighters' needs," said John Michel, head of weapons for Raytheon Systems Limited. "Additional drops are planned to further demonstrate the weapon's expanded capabilities."

"This successful test marks a significant milestone for the next-generation, highly capable weapon system developed and produced in a global market environment," said Ricky Freibert, Paveway program director at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson. "Paveway IV offers the warfighter expanded capabilities in a proven precision strike weapons family."

Raytheon's legacy of more than 35 years of precision guided bomb development and manufacturing experience has resulted in more than 250,000 Paveway precision guided weapons delivered to the U.S. and more than 35 allied nations for use on 25 different aircraft.

Paveway was the most widely used precision munition in Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than 8,700 were dropped.

Raytheon is the sole provider of the Paveway family of precision guided weapons. Paveway is a trademark of Raytheon Company.

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.

  Contact:                       At Farnborough Air Show:
  Alan D. Fischer                Sara Hammond
  520.794.1211                   +44 7894 072841

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Alan D. Fischer of Raytheon Company, +1-520-794-1211; or Sara
Hammond of Raytheon Company, at Farnborough Air Show, +44 7894 072841

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