VIENNA, Va., (Dec. 13, 1999) -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTNA, RTNB) has been awarded a $158 million U.S. Air Force contract to provide E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) training and simulation services at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

This contract transitions responsibility for the majority of E-3 ground-based flight crew training, including ownership of the training devices and facility, to Raytheon. The program begins in January 2000 with potential options extending through 2014. Raytheon will supply three new training devices, develop new courseware, provide student instruction, perform logistics and maintenance services and maintain the training system configuration concurrent with the aircraft. Flight crew training will transition to a Raytheon-provided facility near Tinker AFB after installation of the new training devices.

"This award recognizes Raytheon as a leading provider of aircrew training systems," said Phil LePore, a vice president of Raytheon Company and president of Training and Services. "The U.S. military continues to need highly trained and quality aircrews, and we're proud the Air Force has selected us for this critical training task."

The E-3 AWACS provides worldwide response for the all-altitude "deep look" surveillance, early warning, control and airborne management for theater battle management forces at the direction of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Raytheon has been the incumbent contractor for E-3 flight crew training since 1993 and provides similar services for E-6 TACAMO, C-130 H2/H3 and RC/OC/WC-135 aircraft.

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.