TUCSON, Ariz., July 18, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated that its Enhanced Paveway™ II dual-mode GPS/laser guided bomb can be retargeted in flight using a data link, providing the warfighter with the ability to engage moving targets in bad weather.

Two Enhanced Paveway IIs were dropped from a United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 aircraft. Each weapon was twice updated in flight with new target coordinates, and the precision guided munitions accepted the retargeting coordinates and successfully flew to their new final targets.

The tests, which were conducted by the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, marked the first successful demonstration of air-to-ground weapons receiving updated target coordinates after release. The update information can be sent to the weapon by ground-based or airborne forces.

"Weapon retargeting capability after missile aircraft separation increases the warfighters' utility," said Ricky Freibert, Paveway program director at Raytheon Missiles Systems in Tucson, Ariz. "This can be made available to the front line warfighter with easily acquired UHF radios. We can retrofit existing weapons and add this capability to new weapons systems to benefit the warfighter."

Enhanced Paveway II is a proven weapon that was used successfully by the U.K.'s Royal Air Force during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Raytheon's Enhanced Paveway dual-mode GPS/laser guided munitions are the only fully developed, combat-proven dual mode weapon systems in production today.

The Paveway bomb kits turn "dumb" bombs into precision guided weapons. The Enhanced Paveway II features a Global Positioning System aided Inertial Navigation System as well as laser guidance for precision attacks against both fixed and moving targets. The resulting dual-mode capability offers true operational flexibility: GPS guidance for adverse weather and maximum standoff conditions and laser guidance when required for mobile targets of opportunity. Existing Paveway II laser guided bombs kits already in inventory can be upgraded with the GPS/INS package. Also, this data link capability can be integrated into the Paveway ™ IV currently in development for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence.

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:
  Alan D. Fischer                At Farnborough Air Show:
  +1-520-794-1211                Sara Hammond
                                 +011-44-7894-072841

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Alan D. Fischer, +1-520-794-1211, or Sara Hammond,
+011-44-7894-072841, both of Raytheon Company

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