TEWKSBURY, Mass., Jan. 4, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company has been awarded a $32.7 million subcontract to provide sustainment support for the X- Band Radar (XBR) portion of the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX).

The award was made by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, the prime contractor for the Ground Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). SBX is a component of GMD.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) will provide trained personnel for on-platform sustainment and operation of the XBR along with radar maintenance and development of spares. The contract will run through 2007, and work will be performed at the company's Missile Defense Center in Woburn, Mass., and Integrated Air Defense Center in Andover, Mass., and by Raytheon Technical Services Company on site at the SBX platform.

"This award signals that the Sea-Based XBR is entering a new phase as it takes its place in the BMDS," said Pete Franklin, vice president, Raytheon IDS Missile Defense Business Area. "Raytheon's XBR is a key element of the Missile Defense Agency's vision of protecting our country from all ranges of threats, and we're committed to providing a missile defense capability to meet the MDA's mission with no doubt."

Raytheon IDS designed and built the XBR for the BMDS, drawing on extensive sensor knowledge from its "Family of Radars." As a primary sensor for the BMDS, the XBR performs the critical functions of cued acquisition, target tracking, discrimination and engagement hit assessment.

The radar will help identify the hostile warhead from the decoys and countermeasures, providing additional capability for interceptor missiles to protect the U.S. and its friends and allies from ballistic missile attacks. Aboard the relocatable SBX, the XBR can be positioned in the ocean to support both testing and provide radar coverage for possible threat missile launches throughout the world.

Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Homeland Security.

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:
  Joyce Melikian
  339.645.6967

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Joyce Melikian, +1-339-645-6967, for Raytheon Company

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