Raytheon Consortium Selected to Develop 21st Century Digital Radio.

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 1999--

Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTNA)(NYSE:RTNB) today announced that following a two-month competition, its team has been awarded a $21.7 million contract to develop and validate the software architecture for Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), the 21st century digital radio. The JTRS Joint Program Office has designated the software architecture defined by the Raytheon Consortium as the basis for developing the next generation of military communication systems.

The award follows JTRS Step 1 in which Raytheon's Consortium defined the architecture that has now become the basis for Step 2 -- architecture development and validation. Additional provisions of the Step 2 procurement enable the JPO to procure hardware prototypes to be used as test beds for MSRC's software architecture.

Under this Step 2 contract, Raytheon is challenged to complete the definition and development of JTRS' architecture, validate it on a variety of hardware prototypes, implement core functions specified in the operational requirements document (ORD) and prove it can meet all essential mission objectives. In addition, the Consortium must demonstrate the architecture's ability to handle demanding wideband waveforms, security algorithms and complex networking configurations. Although modeled on personal computer (PC) attributes such as ease of operation and program transportability, JTRS must provide sophisticated capabilities -- guaranteed message delivery, message security and speed of service -- that PC-based commercial Internet architectures do not support.

"During Step 2, we'll stress the architecture to see just how robust it is," said Raytheon Tactical Systems business development director and Consortium leader Ken Peterman. "We'll run the software on validation models of various complexity ranging from dismounted soldier to airborne and maritime applications. Our goal is to prove that the JTRS architecture has the horsepower to meet DoD's mission objectives."

In addition to Raytheon as team leader, Consortium members are ITT Industries, Rockwell-Collins and Marconi Aerospace Systems, Inc.-CNI Division. Supporting the Consortium are: Racal Communications Inc.; Rooftop Communications; Xetron; Sun Microsystems; Qualcomm; Software Technology Inc. and, academicians from the University of Southern California, Purdue University, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Michigan.

Raytheon, Rockwell, ITT and Marconi have successfully fielded more than 90 percent of the legacy systems and waveforms related to the JTRS ORD. The companies also lead the development of next-generation wideband, networked communication waveforms--technological advancements that will assure speed of service and security on the digital battlefield.

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 serves customers in more than 80 countries around the world.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Raytheon Consortium:

--Raytheon Systems Company, Communication Systems Division - 1010 Production Road-Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46808

--ITT Industries- 1919 West Cook Road- Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46801

--Rockwell-Collins - 350 Collins Road NE- Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498

--Marconi Aerospace Systems, Inc. - CNI Division- 164 Totowa Road- Wayne, New Jersey 07474

--Rooftop Communications - 785 Castro Street - Mountain View, California 94014

--Racal Communications Inc. - 5 Research Plaza, Rockville, Maryland 20850

--Xetron - 460 W. Crescentville Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

--Sun Microsystems - 433 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, New Jersey 07601

--Qualcomm - 6455 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, California 92121

--Software Technology Inc., 5904 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Va. 22303

JTRS ACQUISITION: The Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology) signed a Joint Tactical Radio system (JTRS) Decision Memorandum, dated 11 September 1997, that established the JTRS initiative and directed a Joint Program Office to be formed. The JPO?s mission is to acquire a family of affordable, high-capacity tactical radios to provide interoperable Line-of-Sight/ Beyond Line-of-Sight Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) capabilities to the warfighter. To accomplish this mission, JTRS radios will be procured in a three-step process:

--Step 1 - a competitive solicitation, followed by a three-month effort to define the JTRS architecture (Raytheon Consortium's architecture design selected).

--Step 2 - a competitive solicitation to develop architecture and initial waveforms (Raytheon Consortium selected) and acquire prototype hardware to be used as platforms for validation of the JTRS architecture (upcoming solicitations).

--Step 3 - a series of competitive solicitations by the JPO and the Services to procure JTRS-compliant communication equipment/systems.

For more information about JTRS or its Joint Program Office go to http://www.jrts.sarda.army.mil