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HARLOW, U.K., Feb. 20, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Raytheon
Company’s (NYSE: RTN) United Kingdom-based subsidiary has been awarded a
contract to support the integration and flight trials of the Paveway(TM) IV
dual mode precision guided bomb onto the U.K. Royal Air Force Tornado
GR4/4A. The contract is valued at GBP8.5 million, or about $16.6 million.
Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) is now under contract to integrate
Paveway IV on all U.K. strike platforms including Harrier GR9/9A
(successfully completed in August 2007), F-35B Lightening II (Joint Combat
Aircraft), and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Integration on the Tornado GR4 is scheduled for completion in 2010. The
program will focus on providing weapon system performance documentation,
advice to the development of the aircraft stores management systems, and
flight clearance of the weapon onto the aircraft. In support of the flight
trials and certification program, RSL will provide BAE Systems with the
required trials hardware and weapon system simulators. RSL’s partner in the
U.S., Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., will supply the enhanced
computer control group, telemetry sub-systems, instrumentation, test
equipment and associated support.
Tobin Touchstone, director of Precision Systems at RSL, said: “The
Tornado GR4 was the first platform to integrate Raytheon’s highly
successful Enhanced Paveway II. We are confident that the U.K.’s Royal Air
Force will be delighted with the expanded capability that Paveway IV has to
offer. We are also excited about the potential export opportunities the
Paveway IV integration program will provide.”
Incorporating an enhanced Mk82 500lb warhead and an all-electronic
fuze, Paveway IV utilizes second-generation, state-of-the art GPS-aided
inertial navigation with anti-spoofing and anti-jamming technology to
provide unsurpassed accuracy in all operational scenarios.
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