Raytheon's JLENS Conducts Successful Design Reviews

Raytheon's JLENS Conducts Successful Design Reviews

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Nov. 19, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System) has successfully conducted critical design readiness reviews (CDRR) on its final two prime items, the surveillance radar (SuR) and the communications and processing group (CPG). Both are key milestones in the U.S. Army program that will provide a critical cruise missile defense capability for our nation's warfighters.

"JLENS provides the soldier with key performance capabilities," said Lt. Col. Stephen Willhelm, JLENS product manager, U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space. "The SuR and CPG CDRRs demonstrate the maturity of the design is where we need it to be and reaffirms our continued confidence that this critical cruise missile defense capability is on track to be provided to our warfighters."

"The JLENS team continues rapid and disciplined progress on schedule and within budget," said Pete Franklin, vice president, National & Theater Security Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "The success of these final two prime item CDRRs affirms the strength of the team and our confidence in JLENS maturity."

The reviews thoroughly assessed all aspects of JLENS SuR and CPG design maturity and confidence. These prime items are prerequisite to the JLENS Orbit CDR planned for later this year, a key milestone in the $1.4 billion system design and demonstration (SDD) contract under which two JLENS Orbits are being delivered. System testing is scheduled to begin in 2010 with SDD program completion in 2012.

JLENS provides long-duration, wide-area, over-the-horizon detection and tracking of incoming cruise missiles. At the same time, it supplies the battlefield commander with situational awareness and elevated communications capabilities to provide sufficient warning to enable air defense systems to engage and defeat threats.

Each JLENS Orbit consists of two systems: a surveillance system and fire control system, which includes an elevated long-range surveillance radar and an elevated high-performance fire control radar. Each radar is integrated onto a large aerostat connected by a tether to the ground-based mobile mooring station and communications processing group.

Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Global Capabilities Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a broad international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Homeland Security.