TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 15, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Norwegian Navy has successfully fired its first Raytheon Company-built Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM). The Sept. 12 flight test occurred off the coast of Norway near the Arctic Circle. A new class of Norwegian frigate, Fridtjof Nansen (F310), fired the missile that intercepted the subsonic Banshee target.

"We are pleased that Norway has joined the growing family of allied nations that have now successfully flight tested ESSM," said Ed Miyashiro, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president. "ESSM provides the best local area and ship self-defense solution for navies around the world."

Norway is the seventh NATO SEASPARROW Consortium nation to fire ESSM. The missile is being produced for the U.S. Navy and nine of the other 11 member nations of the consortium.

The ESSM tested by Norway featured an upgraded, dual-band antenna that was designed and developed under Raytheon's Value Engineering Change Proposal (VECP). VECPs are industry investments designed to reduce the cost of ESSM.

ESSM is an international cooperative upgrade of the RIM-7 SeaSparrow Missile. The first production ESSM was delivered in 2002. The missile will be deployed on U.S. Navy cruisers, carriers, amphibious ships and destroyers including the Zumwalt class DDG-1000 now in development.

"Raytheon has developed a portfolio of products that provide navies worldwide with a layered defense capability to meet the needs of diverse platform, combat system design and theaters of operation. ESSM provides a solid foundation on which to build even greater capabilities as threats around the world continue to evolve," said Miyashiro.

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:
  John Patterson
  520.794.4559

SOURCE: Raytheon Missile Systems

CONTACT: John Patterson of Raytheon, +1-520-794-4559

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