EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb. 2, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- The Team JCA partnership led by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and EADS CASA North America submitted its final proposal revision (FPR) to the U.S. Army and Air Force for the Joint Cargo Aircraft program Jan. 30, one day before the deadline.

"Our early delivery and final proposal enhancements are the latest examples of our continuing commitment to provide the Army and Air Force the world's best intratheater lift capability right now," said Jim Hvizd, Team JCA vice president. "The C-295 aircraft we propose has proven itself through ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and humanitarian missions worldwide. We're thrilled to be able to offer this battle-tested aircraft to our U.S. warfighters."

The FPR is the final proposal submission for the JCA program. The bid is centered on the C-295 military transport aircraft and incorporates key best value enhancements. Team JCA demonstrated its capability to perform the full range of JCA missions during the Early User Survey phase in late 2006.

JCA will provide intra-theater cargo-lift capability for deployed forces operating in challenging environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Equipped with state-of-the art avionics, survivability equipment and engines, the C-295 is the latest version of a family of EADS CASA military transport aircraft that also includes the CN-235.

Supporting the C-295 is a world-class production and logistics network that will enable the Army to receive the first aircraft within a year of contract award.

"That means the C-295 can be in commanders' hands sooner to support combat operations, humanitarian missions and potential homeland security and disaster relief contingencies," Hvizd said.

The C-295 uses half the fuel for a given JCA mission than its competition. The result is more than $10 billion in life-cycle fuel cost savings versus the competition when the delivered "true" cost of fuel is considered.

In military service with coalition partners around the world, the C-295 is the only combat-proven aircraft competing for the program and the only one certified by military authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration. The C-295 is completing its seventh year of JCA-type missions with the armed services of Spain, Poland, Algeria and Jordan and is in production for Brazil, Portugal and Finland. It also has won formal competitions in Australia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

The C-295 benefits from experience gained by more than 1 million JCA-type flights of its family of aircraft, an achievement no other competitor for the program can claim. With the greatest floor space in its class, the C-295 can carry five pallets and 61 troops, exceeding the capacity of any competing proposal.

In 2006, Team JCA chose Mobile Regional Airport in Alabama as the final assembly and delivery site if its proposal is selected. EADS CASA North America has already broken ground at the airport on a new delivery center for transport aircraft of the C-295 family to be sold into the North American market. The new facility will create more than 150 jobs at full production if the C-295 prevails.

Raytheon Company, with 2006 sales of $20.3 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 more than 80,000 people worldwide.

  Contact:
  Lorenzo Cortes
  310.503.3089

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Lorenzo Cortes for Raytheon Company, +1-310-503-3089

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