TEWKSBURY, Mass., April 18, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's
Project Athena successfully completed an operational demonstration along
the southwest border of Texas to provide persistent multi-domain
surveillance and "actionable intelligence" to a joint interagency task
force in support of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement
agencies.
The Athena integrated C4ISR (command, control, communications,
computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and sensor system
was rapidly fielded to support the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Rio Grande Sector and 14 other interagency partners. During the six-week
mission, Athena and CBP successfully detected, intercepted and deterred
transnational threats, drugs, and alien smuggling across the U.S.-Mexican
border over a large joint operations area including 160 miles of coastline,
120 miles of land border, and nine ports of entry.
"We're pleased to deliver demonstrated capability to secure our
nation's borders today," said Mary Petryszyn, Raytheon Integrated Defense
Systems (IDS) Joint Battlespace Integration vice president. "Project Athena
continues to successfully provide our Homeland Security agencies the power
of knowledge to help defend our freedom and to act with assurance within
the Joint Battlespace environment -- sea, air and land."
During the DHS effort named "Operation Gulfview," Raytheon IDS' Project
Athena integrated multi-sensor and multi-source information to enable
efficient and improved detection, identification, tracking, fusion and
dissemination of actionable intelligence to DHS security law enforcement
agencies.
From the mission's tactical operations center, CBP and joint
interagency operators used Athena's shared situational awareness picture to
coordinate, synchronize and execute simultaneous air, ground and maritime
operationsto more efficiently task the best interdiction assets for the
situation.
Athena surveillance sensors enhanced homeland security efforts by
filling coverage gaps while maximizing operational security. Athena also
improved knowledge regarding illicit narcotics trafficking on North Padre
Island and the Gulf of Mexico waters and coastal areas. Results included
identifying previously unknown activity, focusing enforcement efforts
instead of arbitrarily patrolling areas with unknown traffic (chasing
ghosts), and tracking vessels that crossed the U.S.-Mexican border.
The operational agility demonstrated by Athena was essential to mission
success. For Operation Gulfview, Athena was installed, training was
completed, and the system was operational within three weeks of the award.
This included the deployment of 200 miles of secure, high
capacity/availability wireless networks, integrated air-ground surveillance
sensors, computing and communications (C2) equipment, and improved C2 and
processing services.
Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace
Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a strong
international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile
Defense Agency and the U.S. armed forces.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2005 sales of $21.9 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 80,000 people
worldwide.
Contact:
Guy Shields
978.858.5246
SOURCE Raytheon Company
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com/
CONTACT:
Guy Shields of Raytheon Company,
+1-978-858-5246
|
