LEXINGTON, Mass., Mar. 17, 1999 --Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTNA, RTNB) has been awarded an approximate $5 million contract from the U.S. Army's Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) to upgrade the MH-60K and MH-47E Special Operations Aircraft Combat Mission Simulators.

This award marks the eighth engineering change proposal that Raytheon has received from STRICOM since 1988 to upgrade the MH-60K and MH-47E combat mission simulators, which are located at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Under this upgrade program, Raytheon will provide updates to each simulator's mission processor and host computers, in addition to delivering new instructor operator stations for each trainer.

"The enhancements to the MH-60K and MH-47E combat mission simulators will contribute to reducing the time it takes to train aircrews," said Gary Nesta, Raytheon Systems Company's director of flight simulation. "As a result, these simulators will provide the Army with cost-effective training that increases operational readiness and deployability of its special operations helicopter forces."

Upgrades to each simulator's mission processor will ensure the MH-60K and MH-47E trainers stay concurrent with future aircraft design changes, enabling aircrews to train in the simulators before the MH-60K and MH-47E fielded fleet have been totally modified.

Host computer enhancements will enable the simulators to operate more efficiently and support a wide range of future trainer upgrades.

The new instructor operator stations will enable instructors to focus more attention on the simulation exercise as a result of improved man-machine interoperability.

The MH-60K and MH-47E helicopters are used by the Army's 160th Special Operations Regiment in worldwide, rapidly deployable, joint operational missions. The full-fidelity simulators for these aircraft play an integral role in supporting a training curriculum that spans new pilot to mission rehearsal instruction. The MH-60K and MH-47E simulators enable pilots and co-pilots to train in the areas of ground operations, takeoff, hovering, formation flight, instrument flight, emergency procedures, navigation, approach and landing.

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.