GOLETA, Calif., Aug. 1, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $96 million contract to supply the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) with the Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suite (ASPIS) of electronic warfare equipment for its F-16 aircraft fleet.

The award represents phase 1 of a two-phase contract that calls for 33 systems as well as support equipment and services. Work on the phase 1 program began in July 2006 with final deliveries due by April 2009.

This contract follows a $242 million 2003 award for Raytheon to produce 60 ASPIS II suites, representing a new, enhanced version of the original ASPIS system delivered in the late 1990s for the HAF Block 30/50 F-16. The new contract, a foreign military sale received through the U.S. Air Force Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, is also for ASPIS II systems and is intended to equip HAF F-16 Block 52+ aircraft.

"Our relationship with the HAF is marked by a strong, enduring commitment to program execution," said Pat Hurley, vice president and general manager of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems. "The confidence of the HAF in Raytheon's ASPIS II is a clear indication of the system's ability to protect the warfighter and our ability to perform to contract requirements."

The ASPIS suite consists of the ALR-93(V) threat warning system, ALQ-187 jammer, and ALE-47 chaff/flare dispenser. Raytheon's EW Systems organization, located in Goleta, Calif., and part of the company's Space and Airborne Systems business, is the prime contractor and systems integrator. Teammates on the program include Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division, San Jose, Calif.; BAE Systems, Austin, Texas; and several international subcontractors.

"The ASPIS suite is a proven, highly capable system developed and produced by a team with unparalleled experience," said Tom Burgher, Raytheon EW Systems director of advanced countermeasures. "There is no other system that provides a comparable combination of performance and value."

Additional international sales of the system for F-16 aircraft are also possible, Burgher said.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) is the leading provider of sensor systems giving warfighters the most accurate and timely information available for the network-centric battlefield. With 2005 revenues of $4.2 billion and 13,000 employees, SAS is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif. Additional facilities are in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.

Raytheon Company, 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:
  Ron Colman
  805.879.2041

Note to Editors: This contract award was originally announced by the Department of Defense July 21, 2006.

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Ron Colman of Raytheon Company, +1-805-879-2041

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