Raytheon Advances Mine Warfare Program with Successful System Verification
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TEWKSBURY, Mass., June 13, 2006 / - Raytheon Company achieved a significant milestone with the success of the first verification test of the company's AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS). AMNS, an essential component of the Organic Mine Countermeasures family of systems, is deployed by helicopter to locate and destroy underwater anti-shipping mines.
The test, conducted in Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' (IDS) acoustic, underwater test laboratory in Portsmouth, R.I., simulated an operational mission with the launch and control of the AMNS from the console of a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter.
AMNS was integrated into a MH-60S common console test rack display, a replica of the actual control console of the helicopter. It provided operators with realistic sonar data, video, and joystick controls with which they were successfully able to deploy, maneuver and control the system to locate and neutralize simulated targets - thus verifying full system functionality and operation.
"This milestone is significant in providing our customer with a hands-on demonstration and test of the extensive features and capabilities of the system," said Dan Martin, IDS vice president of Maritime Mission Systems. "With this success, the Raytheon-customer team is moving forward with confidence to shipboard testing, assured of seamless on-board integration and a level of performance that will meet customer expectations and requirements."
AMNS consists of a helicopter-based control console and a launching system with four unmanned underwater vehicles that are lowered from the helicopter. Each vehicle can be launched and automatically "swim" from the launching system to the target area. The unmanned underwater vehicle is tethered with a fiber-optic cable. It carries a video and sonar sensor to detect and find anti-shipping mines, and it also carries an explosive charge that destroys the mine via remote control from the operator in the helicopter.
IDS is the lead systems integrator on the program, working closely with its international partner, BAE Systems of Waterlooville, U.K., the producer of the Archerfish neutralizer and the system's deployment mechanism.
Shipboard testing will continue through June with first system delivery directly following.
Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Joint Battlespace Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a strong international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. armed forces.
Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN), with 2005 sales of $21.9 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Source: Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
CONTACT: Carolyn Beaudry of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, +1-401-842-3550
Web site: http://www.raytheon.com/
