NEWS RELEASE

For Information contact:

Mike Brown
Raytheon Systems Limited
Tel: +44 (0)20 7569 5517
mike.brown@raytheon.co.uk

FOR PAVEWAY III(UK) LASER-GUIDED BOMBS

LONDON (Tuesday, 8^th August, 2000) - - - Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) has been awarded a five year Multi Activity Contract to support Paveway III(UK) Laser Guided Bomb (LGB), currently in service with the Royal Air Force.

The Contract, which is valued at over £3 million, covers Post Design Services, Repair, Spares and Support including re-supply. The Contract also includes the individual Design Authorities as team members for the elements which make up the overall weapon system. The overall work package will be managed by RSL’s Bedford facility.

The precision of Paveway IIs and Paveway IIIs was dramatically demonstrated by the Royal Air Force during the Kosovo crisis. The weapon is also used extensively by the United States Air Force.

Peter McKee, Managing Director of RSL, said, "This is one of the first Multi Activity Contracts for weapons’ support let by the Ministry of Defence. We are proud that it has been won by our Weapon and Electronic Systems team at Bedford, which has been closely associated with the Paveway programme for a number of years."

The Paveway III(UK) LGB weapon system is cleared for use on the RAF’s Tornado IDS, (GR Mk 1, 1a, 4, and 4a ), Jaguar GR Mk 1 and Harrier GR Mk 7 and T Mk 10.

Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) is the UK-based subsidiary of Raytheon Company. With some 2,000 employees working out of nine facilities, RSL services both defence and commercial markets. It is prime bidder for a number of major UK Ministry of Defence programmes such as SIFF (Successor Identification Friend or Foe), and recently won the MoD’s ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) programme. The company also participates as a team player in bids for other programmes such as the Royal Navy’s Future Carrier (CVF). RSL designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of advanced electronic products and systems including airport radar, Identification Friend or Foe systems, anti-jam Global Positioning Systems and marine navigation equipment. It also undertakes aircraft servicing, repair and modification and develops simulation and training products for air traffic control.

Raytheon Company is a global technology leader that provides products and services in the areas of commercial and defence electronics and business and special mission aircraft. Raytheon has operations throughout the United States and serves customers in 70 countries.

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Note for editors:

Paveway III (UK) is composed of the following assemblies :

• The Guidance Control Unit - designed and manufactured by Raytheon Company, Tucson, Arizona.
• The tail unit assembly - based upon a design by Raytheon Company, is modified and manufactured by Portsmouth Aviation Limited, Portsmouth, UK.
• The 2000 lb penetrator warhead - designed and supplied by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, Orlando, Florida.
• The weapon suspension lugs and adapters - designed and manufactured by MBM Technology, Brighton UK.
• The fuze - designed and manufactured by Thomson-Thorn Missile Electronics, Basingstoke, UK.
• The HMX 4 exploder - designed and manufactured by Societa Esplosivi Industriali (SEI), Ghedi, Italy, and support provide through SEI (UK), Basingstoke, UK

The Paveway III (UK) programme started in August 1994, the Royal Air Force declared an Operational capability in September 1995. Deliveries of the complete weapon system started during July 1995 and were completed during November 1998.

Raytheon Systems Limited’s Weapon & Electronic Systems personnel have been involved in the programme from its initial Staff Requirement through to the present date. RSL provided in country support, Sub-Contractor management, source inspections, and have produced and maintain a series of Air Publications for the weapon system including packaging and the Digital Test Set.

As part of the original supply contract, RSL has provided support for the in country repair capability for the Guidance Control Units and Digital Test Sets and in 1997 took over this capability completely.