DALLAS and TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 29, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- NetFires LLC, a limited liability company established by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Company, has received a $54.8 million U.S. Navy contract for System Design and Development for the Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System for the Navy Littoral Combat Ships.

"This contract action brings a truly joint effort between the Army, Navy and the LLC to develop a common launcher that can fire the Precision Attack Missile and later accept future missile variants to meet current and future requirements for both services," said Col. Doug Dever, Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System project manager. The Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System is the Precision Attack Missile fired from a vertical launcher that can be deployed by air, ground or sea assets to quickly engage an enemy target.

"The NetFires LLC is committed to producing a system that will serve our forces well in those defining moments at sea or on the battlefield," said Ric Magness, president of NetFires LLC.

The Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System, consisting of the Precision Attack Missile and Container Launch Unit, has been selected as a surface warfare weapon for the Littoral Combat Ships, the Navy's next generation surface combatant. The Precision Attack Missile and Container Launch Unit will be the ship's premier engagement capability against surface threats such as small moving boats. The Navy expects to build in excess of 50 Littoral Combat Ships with the first ship, USS Freedom, being commissioned in fiscal year 2007. The Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System is slated for integration into the USS Independence in 2008.

The Precision Attack Missile is a low-cost direct attack missile that is seven inches in diameter and weighs about 117 pounds, and will provide a wide range of support up to 40 kilometers. It will include a variable thrust solid rocket motor, dual-mode uncooled infrared/semi-active laser seeker, and a multi-mode warhead. Two-way data links on the Precision Attack Missile will provide for re-tasking while in-flight and down-linking of images.

"Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System provides immediate, precise and responsive fires on high payoff targets with real time target acquisition and battle effects," said Scott Speet, NetFires LLC vice president. "This advanced weapon system now provides the U.S. Navy and its allies with the ability to have a single system solution to counter the asymmetric swarm attack threat that exists today, while supporting troops ashore with precision engagement and minimization of collateral damage. By leveraging our companies' expertise in targeting, command and control and precision attack, we can provide the Navy and the Army with cutting-edge solutions."

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.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

  Contact:
  Raytheon                                Lockheed Martin
  Everett Tackett, APR                    Craig Vanbebber
  520.794.9494                            972.603.1615

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Everett Tackett, APR, of Raytheon, +1-520-794-9494; or Craig
Vanbebber of Lockheed Martin, +1-972-603-1615

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