TUCSON, Ariz., July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company and the U.S. Air
Force have definitized a $155.9 million contract to provide for more than
10,000 guidance kits for the Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb. Raytheon received a
letter contract in late December 2001 from the U.S. government to commence
work on the systems.
Raytheon and its Paveway II suppliers have recently stepped forward to
support the warfighter in the war on terrorism by surging Paveway II
production. Production has been accelerated by five months under the current
government contract and the planned production rate has been doubled.
Raytheon Missile Systems delivered its 125,000th Paveway II to the U.S.
Navy in June under an Air Force contract, marking Raytheon's three decades of
effort to provide this mainstay weapon to warfighters around the globe.
Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb continues to be the world's premiere air-to-
ground weapon system and is deployed by most North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) member nations and by countries around the world. A total
of 32 nations worldwide depend on Paveway II for accurate, reliable and cost-
effective target destruction. European nations account for 15 percent of
Paveway II sales.
The United Kingdom was the first international customer for Paveway II,
and the first combat usage of Paveway II was by the UK's Royal Air Force in
1982 during the Falklands War.
The RAF was the first military service to procure the latest version of
Paveway II, the dual mode Enhanced Paveway II - with laser and Global
Positioning System (GPS).
During Operation Desert Storm, more than half of air-launched guided
weapons were Paveways (II or III). Paveway II accounted for more than three-
quarters of the total Paveways used. More recently, Paveway II has served the
warfighter in Operation Enduring Freedom, where nearly two-thirds of all
carrier-based ordnance were Paveway Laser Guided Bombs.
As the world's premiere supplier of laser guided bombs, Raytheon was able
to begin deliveries of Kosovo emergency supplemental replenishment of Paveway
II kits in 30 days after a contract was awarded in 1999, some five years after
the last United States purchase of Paveway II in 1994. Raytheon was able to
accomplish this because the company kept a Paveway II production line
operational through international sales and company investment.
With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is a
global technology leader in defense, government and commercial electronics,
and business and special mission aircraft.
Contact:
Sara Hammond
520-794-7820
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Sara Hammond of Raytheon Company,
+1-520-794-7820
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