Raytheon to Produce a New Lightweight Thermal Weapon Sight for the U.S. Army

LEXINGTON, MASS. (March 4) BUSINESS WIRE -March 4, 1999--Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTNA)(NYSE:RTNB) will produce a Light Thermal Weapon Sight (LTWS) for the U.S. Army that weighs under three pounds and incorporates key components from its commercial infrared cameras.

The U.S. Army ordered the LTWS to be qualified for serial production in December by exercising a $9.3 million option as part of its Thermal Omnibus contract with Raytheon. Thermal Omnibus is a combined procurement designed to equip U.S. Army and Marine Corps forces cost effectively with proven thermal imaging systems that will significantly enhance their combat capability, enabling users to see through total darkness, smoke, haze and dust. Raytheon is currently producing Thermal Weapon Sights and Driver's Vision Enhancers under terms of this award.

The LTWS will be the lightest weight variant of the AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight family. It provides both low cost and high reliability through commonality with the Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE), a thermal imager for military combat and tactical wheeled vehicles. Both the LTWS and the DVE incorporate Raytheon's uncooled focal plane array technology, using the same components from the company's commercial infrared camera product line.

The Thermal Weapon Sight currently in production under the Thermal Omnibus contract is an infrared sight light enough to be used on rifles and other infantry systems, including machine guns and crew served weapons. It has been selected as the government furnished sight for the Army's Land Warrior program. The LTWS will be capable of being used on a variety of in service rifles and will be compatible with Land Warrior.

The multiyear Thermal Omnibus contract contains additional yearly options for increased quantities, plus options for an additional two years of production, bringing the total production quantities to more than 19,000 Thermal Weapon Sight systems and more than 8,000 Driver's Vision Enhancer systems. The total potential value of the Thermal Omnibus contract for all base quantities and options is approximately $500 million.

Raytheon Company, based in Lexington, Mass., is a global technology leader that provides products and services in the areas of commercial and defense electronics, engineering and construction, and business and special mission aircraft. Raytheon has operations throughout the United States and services more than 80 countries around the world. NOTE TO EDITORS:

The U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command, Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, administers the contract option. The program is managed by Program Manager-Night Vision / Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.

The work will be performed by Raytheon's Sensors and Electronic Sensors business segment operations in Dallas, Texas.

-0- kms/bos*

CONTACT: Raytheon Company

          Jim Knotts, 310.647.0784 

http://www.raytheon.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS AEROSPACE/DEFENSE
Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet

with Hyperlinks to your home page.

                      URL: http://www.businesswire.com