MARLBOROUGH, Mass., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed all formal testing of the Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) satellite communication system--exceeding performance requirements and finishing nearly three weeks ahead of schedule.

NMT is a system of submarine, shore-based and shipboard communications terminals for the transformational satellite communications (SATCOM) component of the U.S. Navy's FORCEnet concept.

"These tests demonstrated that Raytheon's NMT will be ready to deliver on time to meet the Navy's critical schedule and will provide the reliability that warfighters can absolutely depend on," said William H. Swanson, Raytheon's Chairman and CEO. "Our NMT highlights Raytheon's unmatched experience and expertise in fielding innovative mission-critical solutions."

Successful formal performance verification testing comes after Raytheon's earlier completion of rugged, critical environmental testing on the NMT two years ahead of schedule.

Among the 350 critical requirements that Raytheon has met in developing the NMT, a few particularly important capabilities stand out:

  -- The formal testing validated that Raytheon's new, advanced XDR
     (eXtended data rate) wave form performs both network and point-to-point
     anti-jam communications at data rates up to eight Mbps (megabits per
     second). This performance provides more than four times the current
     protected throughput to the warfighter.
  -- The Navy and Raytheon validated that the NMT can operate on polar-
     inclined orbit satellites to provide full global connectivity for
     submarines even in the polar extremes. Raytheon further demonstrated
     nanosecond timing of antenna handovers under harsh at-sea conditions to
     ensure uninterrupted shipboard communications.
  -- In addition, the testing verified that the NMT can automatically
     establish internet protocol connectivity using the Navy's Time Division
     Multiple Access Interface Processor or TIP, significantly enhancing
     bandwidth efficiency and greatly simplifying a sailor's duties when
     establishing communications.
  -- Raytheon's NMT provides warfighters worldwide connectivity through
     existing Department of Defense satellites and delivers technically
     advanced software solutions for new satellites such as Wideband Global
     SATCOM, scheduled to be in service in 2007, and Advanced Extremely High
     Frequency due in 2010.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, on behalf of its organizational partner, the Navy's Program Executive Office for C4I, expects to select a single performer for the NMT contract in the third quarter of fiscal 2007.

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.

Note to Editors:

NMT provides the bandwidth efficiency that allows naval information networks to extend seamlessly from individual ships and submarines to other networks around the globe. NMT replaces three separate systems currently deployed in the U.S. Navy, extending the submarine and shipboard capability from Extremely High Frequency waveforms to Advanced Extremely High Frequency and providing global broadcast system, X- band and Ka-band services. Time Division Multiple Access refers to signal protocols used in many cell phone services, for example.

  Contact:
  MB Hodgkiss
  Raytheon Company
  508.490.2607

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: MB Hodgkiss of Raytheon Company, +1-508-490-2607

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