ATHENS, Greece, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hellenic Air Force destroyed a
sub-sonic target during the first live firing of its Patriot Air and Missile
Defense System today at the NATO Missile Firing Installation on the island of
Crete. Telemetry data from the test confirmed that the missile scored a direct
hit on the target.
The test of the Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile system was conducted
under operational conditions against a sub-scale drone simulating a cruise
missile. The target was flying at an altitude of 5 kilometers and at a range
of 30 kilometers. During the test, the Patriot Fire Unit was manned and
operated by Hellenic Air Force crews assigned to operational Patriot Fire
Units. According to the Hellenic Air Force, the target was successfully
tracked by the system's radar and subsequently engaged and destroyed.
"Today's firing confirms both the readiness of the Hellenic Air Force's
Patriot System as well as the readiness of the Hellenic Air Force to operate
and maintain it," said William H. Swanson, president of the Raytheon Company.
"This important test firing validates Patriot as a key component of Greece's
national defense system and continues Patriot's perfect record of successful
international test flights."
The test was designed and conducted under the control of the Hellenic Air
Force and verifies acceptance of the Patriot equipment by the Hellenic
Ministry of Defense.
The contract between the Hellenic Ministry of Defense and Raytheon for the
Patriot Air and Missile Defense system was initiated in 1999. Patriot, the
foundation of the U.S. Army's integrated Air Defense System, is a long range,
all altitude, all weather system fielded to defeat advanced threats including
aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
Eight Hellenic companies -- Hellenic Arms Industry, Hellenic Aerospace
Industry, Hellenic Vehicle Industry, Intracom, Siemens, Metka, Sonak, and
Elfon Ltd. -- have worked with Raytheon to manufacture and maintain the
Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems for Greece. Hellenic suppliers provide
all operations shelters, communications shelters, prime movers, launchers,
final missile assembly, logistics support, engineering support, and training
support.
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.
For further information please contact: Mark Day, +44-0-7870-246276, for
Raytheon Company
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Mark Day, +44-0-7870-246276, for Raytheon
Company
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