Raytheon Cost Cutting Drives Down Supersonic Strike Missile Price Tag to Industry Low

Raytheon Cost Cutting Drives Down Supersonic Strike Missile Price Tag to Industry Low

Company can sell system to the U.S. government for far less than $100 thousand a unit

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) will soon complete a major cost reduction initiative for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Destruction of enemy air defense Attack Module (HDAM).

HDAM is an upgrade kit that converts the combat-proven HARM into a long-range, supersonic, precision-strike weapon for non-radiating targets. It upgrades HARM from a suppression of enemy air defense weapon into a destruction of enemy air defense weapon.

"With our cost-reduction measures, we can sell HDAM to the U.S. government for far less than $100 thousand a unit in 2008 dollars," said Jeff Wadsworth, Raytheon Missile System's HARM program director. "Other upgrade kits are projected to cost several hundred thousand dollars a unit. In today's fiscally constrained environment, the warfighter deserves the capability and value HDAM brings to the table."

Raytheon completed HDAM flight testing in 2006. HDAM adds an inertial navigation system and GPS to HARM. These enhancements greatly improve the missile's effectiveness and eliminate the possibility of fratricide.

"HDAM gives the warfighter the ability to rapidly strike distant targets with pinpoint accuracy, enabling the warfighter to accomplish the mission and return home safely," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile System's Air Warfare Systems' product line.

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