LONDON, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- An operational Harrier GR Mk 7 of the
Royal Air Force has scored a direct hit with a Raytheon AGM-65G2 Maverick
missile on a ground target at the Naval Air Weapon Station at China Lake,
California.  The target was small, consisting simply of two stacked shipping
containers.  The ongoing success of the RAF's Maverick trials reconfirms the
weapon's precision capabilities and provides the RAF with a potent new
capability.
    For this trial an RAF Harrier Staff Pilot fired the Maverick from an
operational aircraft flying at Mach 0.74, at 17,000 feet MSL and 6.8 NM range.
Target acquisition was achieved as the Harrier rolled out on the final attack
heading from 20 NM.
    This latest shot marks the first employment of the Maverick missile by the
RAF in its final integration format on the Harrier and the first from an
active duty aircraft.  This follows the successful employment of the Maverick
during earlier integration trials in June 2000, where a Defence Evaluation and
Research Agency (DERA) test pilot scored two direct hits on two separate
sorties.
    Last year a Raytheon team mobilised quickly and worked closely with the
RAF to provide a rapid response to the Service's urgent operational
requirement to address the need for new precision weapons that had resulted
from lessons learned during the Kosovo campaign.  In that campaign combat
operations confirmed that precision guided munitions with low collateral
damage are a key requirement in the missions that the RAF now undertakes in
support of peace-keeping operations.  Maverick's "lock-before-launch"
targeting system met this requirement.  The Maverick procurement is an
excellent example of how true co-operation between industry and the armed
forces results in a highly satisfactory solution.
    The time between contract, delivery and ISD has been kept to an absolute
minimum.  The Ministry of Defence selected the Maverick Missile System in July
2000 and the contract, worth approximately 42 million pounds, which covers
both the system itself and support hardware, was signed in September.  First
delivery of missiles occurred in December and operational capability confirmed
in February of this year.
    Maverick is a very sophisticated and cost effective weapon that has been
kept at the leading edge of capability through continual investment in new
technology upgrades.  It has long been regarded as the world's precision
guided weapon of choice.   Maverick is a combat proven, off-the-shelf
precision guided missile that greatly improves the pilot's capability and
flexibility to attack both mobile and static targets by day and by night.
Over 65,000 missiles have been produced to date with 14,000 launched including
5,300 in Desert Storm and 800 in Allied Force.   During these conflicts,
Maverick achieved a 93% success rate.
    Raytheon Systems Limited is the UK-based subsidiary of Raytheon Company.
With nearly 2,000 employees throughout the UK, RSL services both defence and
commercial markets.  It is a major supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence and
has won programmes such as ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) and SIFF
(Successor Identification Friend or Foe).  The company also participates as a
team player in bids for other programmes such as the Royal Navy's Future
Carrier (CVF) and the Army's BOWMAN communications system.  RSL, which is
establishing a major systems integration capability, also designs, develops
and manufactures ATC radar, identification systems and anti-jam navigation
systems.  It is a specialist supplier of semiconductors and power modules,
manufacturing complex electronic systems, sub-systems and assemblies, and
undertakes aircraft servicing and modification.
    With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon Company is a global
technology leader in defense, government, and commercial electronics, and
business and special mission aircraft.

    Note to Editors:
    The Maverick Anti-Armour Missile is an affordable precision guided
    munition:
    -- Its capabilities make it ideal for peace keeping operations where
       collateral damage is of specific concern:
       -- Lock-on before launch following positive identification of target.
          "Launch and leave".
       -- Blast is highly focused on point of impact.
    -- It has proven performance against moving armour, vehicles and ships.
    -- It has proven performance against high value targets.
    -- It is capable of rapid assignment of targets and lock-on, therefore has
       capability against targets of opportunity.

    For information contact:
    Mike Brown
    Tel: +44 (0)20 7569 5517
    mike.brown@raytheon.co.uk

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