TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy
successfully completed the second demonstration test flight (DT-1) of the
Raytheon-produced Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile Nov. 10 at the Naval Air
Systems Command western test range complex in southern California.
"The resounding success of DT-1 and the entire test flight program
demonstrates that the U.S. Navy-Raytheon team will be delivering to the war
fighter a strike weapon with transformational capabilities," said Capt. Bob
Novak, U.S. Navy Tomahawk All-up Round program manager.
DT-1 marks the first underwater launch of the Tactical Tomahawk missile.
Launched from a fixed underwater vertical launcher off San Clemente Island,
the missile flew an over-water mission on the sea test range and then flew
over land to prosecute targets on the China Lake Test Range. The Tactical
Tomahawk successfully met planned test objectives that included missile
performance from pre-flight initialization through attack; demonstration of
all flight modes, terminal maneuvers, variable dive angles and fuzing
function; and Global Positioning System/Digital Scene Matching Area
Correlation (GPS/DSMAC) navigation. Building on the success of the first
demonstration test flight Aug. 23, the missile also successfully demonstrated
GPS jamming performance, Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) processing, and
time of arrival performance.
"We are excited to have completed this demanding flight which marks the
end of the demonstration flight test phase," said Louise Francesconi,
president, Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz. "This major milestone
allows the U.S. Navy to proceed into the technical evaluation period of the
program."
Tomahawk, the surface- and submarine-launched, precision strike stand-off
weapon, is the Navy's weapon of choice for critical, long-range precision
strike missions against high value, heavily
defended targets.
Tactical Tomahawk will incorporate innovative technologies to provide new
operational capabilities while dramatically reducing acquisition and life
cycle costs. Scheduled for fleet introduction in 2004, the Tactical Tomahawk
will cost less than half of a newly built Block III missile and will have the
capability to respond to changing battlefield conditions through the use of
its loiter and mission flex features.
With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) is a global
technology leader in defense, government and commercial electronics, and
business and special mission aircraft.
Contact:
Jennifer Allen
(520) 794-4182
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Jennifer Allen of Raytheon, +1-520-794-4182
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