LEXINGTON, MASS., July 21, 1998 -- Raytheon Systems Company, a unit of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTNA, RTNB), has been awarded a $6.8 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to operate and maintain the Air Force Research Laboratory's flight simulation facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Annual contract options, when exercised by the Air Force, would extend Raytheon Systems Company's support of these flight simulation facilities for a total of five years, boosting contract value to approximately $35 million.

At the Air Force Research Laboratory, Raytheon Systems Company will maintain, support and operate four facilities: the Crew Station Evaluation Facility, Vehicle/Pilot Integration Laboratory, Engineering Flight Simulation Facility, and Simulation and Analysis Facility.

In addition, Raytheon Systems Company will provide material support for an extensively modified C-135C aircraft, which operates from Edwards Air Force Base, to evaluate advanced avionics and communication equipment for future transport aircraft design.

"We've had the opportunity under a previous contract to support the Crew Station Evaluation Facility for 29 years," said Phil LePore, executive vice president of Raytheon Systems Company and general manager of the company's Training and Services business segment, "and now we're looking forward to operating and maintaining all of the Air Force Research Laboratory's advanced flight simulation facilities."

Raytheon will provide a variety of services for the simulation facilities, including developing and maintaining real-time simulation systems, graphics hardware, computational hardware, real-time operating systems and flight simulators.

In addition, Raytheon will undertake facility modernization; engineering support for assigned research simulation systems; simulation systems software development; simulation test operation; data collection and analysis; and status and results tracking and reporting.

"By assigning one contractor to operate and maintain these four flight simulation research laboratories, the Air Force can gain increased operational efficiency and experience reduced support costs," LePore added. "This will be achieved by optimizing flexibility in resource assignment, reducing duplication of operation and maintenance efforts and increasing system compatibility between the four research facilities."

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.