TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 17, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) achieved a significant milestone on the Zumwalt-class destroyer program with the successful design review of the ship's electro- optical/infrared (EO/IR) system. With this success, the U.S. Navy has given Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems approval to advance the design into the production phase.

Raytheon's EO/IR system delivers critical Zumwalt capabilities, including 360-degree, 24-hour situational awareness for the ship, automated mine-like object detection, and guidance for ship self-defense gunnery.

"All of the review objectives were successfully met -- demonstrating to the Navy that this system effectively meets Zumwalt design requirements," said Gerard Green, Zumwalt combat and mission systems equipment lead for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. "Key to this milestone and the program's overall success is the collaborative partnership between the Navy, the Raytheon design team and the subcontractor partners."

The Zumwalt EO/IR system employs several detection and tracking algorithms that discern targets in day and night, as well as high and low contrast environments -- as often experienced in littoral regions. The system also supports the Navy's goal to achieve reductions in manning during critical warfighting operations.

Raytheon's design approach employs mission-area thread analysis to verify that ship-level mission requirements are satisfied by the integrated EO/IR design. Raytheon leads the integration of the EO/IR suite, which combines five individual sets of Lockheed Martin-provided hardware and embedded software, with the Raytheon-developed Total Ship Computing Environment resident core software. The core software allows the five sensors to be used as one or, when necessary, five individual sensors with five different missions. During final integration, Raytheon will complete the entire EO/IR "sensor-to-glass" thread - from target detection to workstation display.

The design review took place at Raytheon's Maritime Mission Center, Portsmouth, R.I. Participants included representatives from Raytheon, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Lockheed Martin MS2, Akron, Ohio.

Under the Navy's DDG 1000 Detail Design and Integration contract awarded in 2005, Raytheon IDS serves as the prime mission systems equipment integrator for all electronic and combat systems for the Zumwalt Class destroyer program. Working with the Navy and a team of industry leaders, IDS is leading the effort to transform the Navy's ship requirements to reality. For more information, visit http://www.raytheon.com/products/ddg_1000.

The Zumwalt Class Destroyer program is one of several programs to successfully employ IDS' Open business model that enables Affordability, Innovation and Results (OpenAIR™). The model leverages the best of academia, large and small businesses, including Lockheed Martin MS2, to provide customers effective solutions at affordable prices. OpenAIR ensures repeated collaboration and combines IDS' knowledge and processes with the innovation and agility of small business.

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 a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 85 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.

  Contact:
  Carolyn Beaudry
  401.842.3550

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

CONTACT: Carolyn Beaudry of Raytheon Company, +1-401-842-3550

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