TEWKSBURY, Mass., Feb. 7, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Configuration 3 Patriot system, composed of a Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-T (GEM-T), a Patriot launcher, engagement control station and Patriot radar, destroyed a surrogate cruise missile target to complete a perfect three-for-three mission set as part of a two-month evaluation at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

The GEM-T missile is a cost-effective, lethal interceptor designed to defeat sophisticated land-attack cruise missiles and a range of ballistic missile threats through applying technical enhancements and modifications to the Army's Patriot missile fleet. GEM-T is a complementary and affordable missile for the Patriot System.

"These successful tests reflect Raytheon's commitment to ensure our Patriot systems and missiles continue to provide our warfighters with a cost effective, no doubt air defense capability," said Rick Yuse, vice president, Integrated Air Defense at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). "This is another positive step forward for the Configuration-3 Patriot system demonstrating its 'first time every time' dependability."

Using a Configuration-3 missile system with its newly developed PDB-6 (post deployment build-6) system software, a government evaluation team successfully completed three missions that met all test objectives. The objectives included demonstrating the performance of the GEM-T missile improvement using PDB-6 software and demonstrating the system's capability to detect, track and intercept ballistic, theater ballistic missile and low- altitude cruise missile threats.

Raytheon's integrated fire unit, consisting of the Patriot launcher, engagement control station and Patriot radar system, provided the battle management, command and control, and communications to ensure the Configuration-3 system achieved test objectives.

Raytheon IDS is the prime contractor for the Patriot system and system integrator for the Configuration-3 system. In this role, Raytheon IDS ensures that all Patriot system components provide the warfighter a reliable and lethal capability to defeat the threats in current and future combat environments.

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

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:
  Guy Shields
  978.858.5246

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Guy Shields of Raytheon Company, +1-978-858-5246

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