TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Air Force has exercised
a $9.2 million production contract option with Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to
produce 301 AGM-65K Maverick missile guidance and control sections. Work on
the option will occur primarily at Raytheon's Missile Systems business unit in
Tucson, Ariz., and run through December 2004.
"Awarding the Lot 3 production option is another key milestone for the Air
Force - Raytheon AGM-65H/K team. It continues the team's progress toward
meeting the Air Force's objective for a mix of infrared and TV Mavericks,"
said Michael R. Vela, Raytheon's Maverick program manager.
The Air Force's upgrade program is creating two new versions of the AGM-
65: the 65H, which carries a 125-pound shaped charge warhead, and the 65K,
with a 300-pound blast fragmentation warhead with selected fuze delay.
"Raytheon has already received numerous inquiries and requests for
proposals for AGM-65H/K upgrades from international customers. The market is
rapidly emerging for AGM-65H/K upgrades, and the Maverick team with its
supplier base, is ready to provide those upgrades," said Ron Shields, Raytheon
Maverick program director.
Maverick is a precision, air-to-ground missile that is used against small
hard targets, armored vehicles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites, and high-
value targets such as ships, port facilities and communications centers. The
missile has launch-and-leave capability to enable the pilot to lock onto the
target, launch the Maverick and then take evasive action.
The charge-coupled-device (CCD) sensors used on the AGM-65H/K increases
Maverick's reliability and service life. The CCD sensor permits the AGM-65H/K
to operate in lower light levels than the older TV sensors used in the current
AGM-65 A and B missiles and extends the engagement range by two to three times
over today's AGM-65 A and B missiles.
With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon Company is a global
technology leader in defense, government and commercial electronics, and
business and special mission aircraft.
Contact:
Jennifer Spears-Allen
520.794.4182
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Jennifer Spears-Allen of Raytheon Company,
+1-520-794-4182
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