Raytheon Offers Heat Vision Technology to Security OEMs and Systems Integrators.

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1999--

Expanding on its automotive and fire market Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) strategy, which has seen partnerships with Cadillac and five fire equipment manufacturers over the past 18 months, Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTNA) is now offering its industry-leading infrared (IR) thermal imaging technology, which it calls "heat vision," to OEMs and systems integrators in the security market.

Raytheon's Series 200, 250 and 300 camera sub-assemblies are affordable, long-range, high-resolution thermal imaging cameras designed to have maximum packaging flexibility for OEMs and systems integrators developing a range of corporate, consumer and government end-user security products.

"We're excited to be bringing our industry-leading IR technology, manufacturing capacity and OEM expertise to a new market that has great potential for incorporating the benefits of heat vision into new security product offerings," said John Love, OEM manager for Raytheon Commercial Infrared Products.

Heat vision cameras detect the invisible infrared energy that all people and objects emit, and can "see" better than the naked eye at night, in bad weather and even during the day. For security applications, these systems can be a cost-effective alternative to the installation, usage and maintenance of lighting systems used to safeguard corporate facilities, factories and warehouses, expensive residential property and governmental sites.

Heat vision also has unique benefits in "lights-out" settings where illuminating an entire area may draw unwanted attention to a facility. In many night security applications, lighting an area creates "shadow cover" for intruders, compared with a heat vision camera that can detect people hidden by shadows or small barriers.

Raytheon's infrared camera sub-assemblies feature a hybrid ferroelectric staring focal plane array detector, which supply images at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Raytheon also offers its OEM infrared camera technology with a solid-state electronics architecture that uses programmable and discreet off-the-shelf components. Called ICE (Improved Common Electronics), this solid-state design offers performance improvements of two times in noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) or sensitivity, and two to four times improvement in non-uniformity, which significantly enhances picture quality.

Raytheon's OEM thermal imaging products are available with a variety of lens ranging from 18 mm to 150 mm depending on the user's requirements. They may also be packaged without a lens to provide systems manufacturers with greater flexibility in designing a range of end-user products.

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.