TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company and the
NetFires Limited Liability Company (LLC), a company composed of Raytheon
Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, have selected
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General
Dynamics (NYSE: GD), to be the warhead provider for the Non Line of Sight-
Launch System (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile (PAM).
The selection was based on an eight-month competition among warhead
manufacturers to meet the design and performance parameters of the PAM
missile. As part of the competition, each bidder was required to participate
in extensive live fire testing to demonstrate its warhead's effectiveness
against the U.S. Army and Navy required target set, as well as its ability to
meet stringent insensitive munitions requirements. The estimated contract
value is expected to be in excess of $70 million over the life of the program.
The PAM missile, developed under a Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) NetFires program, successfully conducted numerous flight tests
during the DARPA program. That program focused on innovative design and
performance of a compact, networked, precision attack missile launched from a
self contained, platform independent launcher but did not include the
provisions to design and demonstrate a warhead.
NLOS-LS is currently in the system development and demonstration phase of
the program for the Army. Work under this contract began in 2004. The GD-OTS
warhead will be built, assembled and tested at the General Dynamics facility
at Niceville, Fla.
"We're very pleased with the demonstrated performance of the General
Dynamics warhead. It clearly meets every design and performance parameter
required for the Precision Attack Missile," said Scott Speet, executive vice
president of the NetFires LLC and Raytheon's NLOS-LS program director. "The
selection of the General Dynamics warhead is a critical step on our path for
successfully meeting our cost, performance and schedule requirements leading
to preliminary design review of the PAM missile."
Richard P. Davitt, vice president of Precision Systems for General
Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, said, "General Dynamics is pleased to
have been selected by Raytheon's NLOS-LS team to provide the advanced warhead
for the Precision Attack Missile. We look forward to extending our legacy of
fielding world-class warhead capability as a vital contributor to the PAM
development program. We are proud to partner with Raytheon in the NLOS-LS
program that will provide critical warfighting capabilities for the future
force."
The NLOS-LS system consists of Raytheon's Precision Attack Missile (PAM),
Lockheed Martin's Loitering Attack Missile (LAM) and a joint Container Launch
Unit (CLU). In 2004, the Army accelerated fielding of the Raytheon PAM and
CLU to the Army's Evaluation Brigade Combat Team into Spin Out 1 in fiscal
year 2008.
NLOS-LS provides a commander with immediate, precise and responsive fires
on high payoff targets with real time target acquisition and battle effects.
PAM is a direct attack missile that is effective against moving and stationary
targets at ranges from zero to 40 km and effective against hard and soft
targets. The missile includes a networked datalink that provides in-flight
updates to each missile with ground and airborne sensor nodes and has a large
multi-mode warhead effective against both hard and soft targets.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 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.
Contact:
Sara Hammond
520.794.7810
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Sara Hammond of Raytheon Company,
+1-520-794-7810
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