Raytheon's Joint Standoff Weapon Block II Variant Has Successful First Flight

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Raytheon's Joint Standoff Weapon Block II Variant Has Successful First Flight
    TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 16, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE:
RTN) Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) Block II, an updated version of the
battle-proven weapon that offers significantly lower unit costs and an
additional payload option, successfully flew its first U.S. Navy test
flight Oct. 12.
    The test, flown at China Lake Naval Air Station, Calif., on an F/A-18,
demonstrated both weapon system performance and aircraft compatibility.
    "We have teamed with the Navy to create JSOW Block II, the most
cost-effective standoff weapon," said John O'Brien, Raytheon's JSOW program
director. "Our first flight of a Block II JSOW represents a major step
forward in this program and offers warfighters improved battlefield
capabilities at a fraction of the cost of most standoff weapons available
worldwide."
    Block II continues to maintain JSOW's low radar cross section and
infrared signature. These are key stealth features and ensure a high
probability of JSOW survival en route to highly defended targets.
    Raytheon is under contract with Naval Air Systems Command to produce
Block II JSOW-C missiles for the Navy and Marine Corps starting in 2007.
Block II has significantly reduced unit cost through airframe redesign to a
major single piece, employment of less expensive components, advanced
technology and a reduction in parts count. JSOW's shelf life has been
doubled, eliminating major lifecycle costs. Block II reduces the unit cost
of JSOW by more than 25 percent.
    "The cost reduction provided by the Block II program enables the Navy
to provide more weapons to the fleet with more capability," said Capt. Mat
Winter, the Navy's program manager for Precision Strike Weapons. "JSOW
Block II savings allow us to incorporate future increased capability
without asking for additional JSOW funds."
    JSOW won the 2005 Department of Defense David Packard Award for
Excellence in Acquisition for Block II cost reduction initiatives.
    Raytheon funded the development of a new payload option for the JSOW A
that is also part of the Block II program. This new version uses a
500-pound BLU-111 (MK-82) warhead and is designated the AGM-154A-1. The
BLU-111 variant is the lowest cost JSOW variant and eliminates unexploded
ordnance concerns of cluster munitions while maintaining or increasing
effectiveness against a broad target set. It is primarily intended for the
international market.
    Development of a Block III variant of JSOW has started. It will add
moving target capability by adding a weapons data link, and it will
continue Block II cost reduction efforts. A weapon data link provides the
capability of in-flight communications. Missile health, status and position
can be transmitted by the weapon up to the time of impact. The weapon can
also receive in-flight target updates. Anti-ship capabilities are provided
by using the JSOW-C imaging infrared seeker for targeting. The first Block
III weapon is scheduled to be produced in 2009.
    Raytheon Company, 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.
    Notes to Editors:
    JSOW Block II maintains all standoff and survivability capability of
the current JSOW and includes an improved anti-jam capability. The RAPTOR
SAASM (Raytheon Advanced Protection Technology Receiver/Selective
Availability Anti-Spoofing Module) global positioning system (GPS) aids
inertial navigation. RAPTOR GPS/INS (inertial navigation system) is an
advanced navigator developed by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems and is
used in other Raytheon products.
    JSOW is a joint Navy and Air Force program. It is a family of low-cost,
air-to-ground weapons that employ an integrated GPS/INS that guides the
weapon to the target. The JSOW uses a common and modular weapon body
capable of carrying various payloads. Its long standoff range, up to 70
nautical miles, allows delivery from well outside the lethal range of most
enemy air defenses. More than 400 JSOW-As have been used in combat
operations to date. More than 2,500 JSOW have been produced to date.
    Contact:
    Alan D. Fischer
    520.794.1211
SOURCE Raytheon Company
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Alan D. Fischer of Raytheon, +1-520-794-1211