TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 21, 2004  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raytheon Company
has delivered five STANDARD Missile-3 rounds to the Missile Defense Agency for
deployment as a key element of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

    The rounds are available for deployment on Aegis cruisers and destroyers
to defend against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats in
the midcourse phase of flight or for flight testing.

    Raytheon marked the first SM-3 delivery with a ceremony in Tucson on Oct.
22.

    "Raytheon's deliveries of these STANDARD Missile-3s will help provide the
United States with the first sea-based line of defense against a limited
ballistic missile attack," said Ed Miyashiro, Raytheon's vice president for
Naval Weapon Systems. "Our team is very proud of developing and delivering
this needed capability."

    As the prime contractor, Raytheon is responsible for the development and
integration of the SM-3 "all up round," including the SM-3 kinetic warhead.
Other SM-3 team members include Aerojet, Alliant Techsystems and The Boeing
Company.

    Since January 2002, the Aegis BMD system has successfully intercepted
targets in space four times with SM-3. In all the flight tests, the SM-3 was
launched from a U.S. Navy cruiser under very realistic, operational
conditions.

    There is already international interest in Aegis BMD and SM-3. Japan made
the decision earlier this year to procure Aegis BMD and SM-3 missiles for its
Kongo-class Aegis destroyers.

    Raytheon is also responsible for the manufacture and deployment of the
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
program and is the interceptor lead for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor
program. Raytheon is also providing the Sea-Based X-band radar and Upgraded
Early Warning Radar for the GMD segment, the Space Tracking and Surveillance
System payload, the Ballistic Missile Defense System radar, and THAAD
(Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) radar and battle management software.

    Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2003 sales of $18.1 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 78,000 people worldwide.

  Contact:
   Sara Hammond
   520.794.7810


SOURCE: Raytheon Company



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