McKINNEY, Texas, Aug. 29, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raytheon Company completed EO/IR/LD (electro-optical/infrared/laser designator) sensor verification flight testing for the U.S. Army Warrior unmanned aerial system (UAS) this month.

Conducted on an Army Twin Otter aircraft, the testing verified system performance and demonstrated the sensor's wide area search (WAS) capability.

"This is a very aggressive program, and the entire team is committed to maintaining our contract schedule," said Paul Shofner, Raytheon's program manager for the Warrior sensor payload. "We're excited to move into the next stage of developmental testing this month, assisting the Army in its sensor evaluation."

In June, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) delivered the last of 10 Warrior EO/IR/LD sensors on time to the U.S. Army.

Raytheon is the prime multi-sensor payload provider for Warrior, formerly designated by the Army as extended range multi-purpose under a Communications-Electronics Command systems development and demonstration contract awarded in May 2005. Warrior's EO/IR/LD sensor was selected by the Army prior to UAS platform selection.

"The EO/IR/LD payload is demonstrating tremendous performance capabilities and is destined to insure state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition mission accomplishment for the Warrior UAS," said Lt. Col. Reed Young, Army product manager for the Product Management Office for Robotic and Unmanned Sensors. "Given its modular construct, it also has outstanding potential for product improvement with high definition video formatting, laser target marking, and image intensified TV."

Raytheon's EO/IR/LD sensor on Warrior is a third-generation mid-wave sensor that has six fields of view, WAS, continuous zoom and targeting color televisions, and an eye-safe laser range finder. The Warrior sensor payload can blend or fuse EO and IR imagery to provide combined detail and best image resolution. The Army sensor of choice for Warrior can also track moving targets on the ground with its automatic video tracker capability.

Raytheon 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., with additional facilities in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.

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.

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  Dave Desilets
  972.952.2239

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Dave Desilets of Raytheon Company, +1-972-952-2239

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