March 25, 2010
WASHINGTON, -- Three Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) employees received the Missile Defense Agency's Technology Achievement Award at the 8th Annual U.S. Missile Defense Conference March 24. The employees were honored for their significant contributions to Operation Burnt Frost – the interception of a non-functioning satellite in space.
Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, MDA director, presented the awards for significant contributions in missile defense to Richard Hussey, deputy director, Regional Missile Defense for Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS); Adam Art, chief engineer, Missile Defense Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems; and Stephen Stone, deputy program manager, Missile Defense Programs for IDS.
During the 2008 mission, a Raytheon Standard Missile-3 destroyed a failed satellite in space. The satellite contained toxic fuel and posed a potential threat to thousands of people on the ground. The SM-3 was modified for this unique operation and performed beyond its intended capabilities to intercept the target over the Pacific Ocean.
The Sea-Based X-band radar, also designed and built by Raytheon, tracked the satellite prior to the missile engagement and performed the hit assessment afterward. The radar performs the critical functions of cueing, tracking and discriminating a target.
"The success of Operation Burnt Frost exemplifies the depth and breadth of missile defense talent at Raytheon," said Ed Miyashiro, RMS vice president and deputy general manager. "The Raytheon team rapidly responded to an unconventional threat to the United States and the world."
Raytheon engineers modified the software on three SM-3 missiles for this one-time mission, working closely with customers and industry partners to ensure mission success.
"We continue to be proud of the world-class work of our employees who support our warfighters," said Karen Kalil-Brown, vice president of National Theater and Security Programs for Raytheon IDS. "The contributions of Adam, Richard and Stephen illustrate Raytheon's unmatched missile defense expertise, allowing us to provide best-value solutions for our customers."
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BMD (Ballistic Missile Defence), Raytheon (NYSE:RTN), Space systems
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