Date posted: 01/26/2009*

Raytheon was honored by Aviation Week, with two of its highest awards for Aerospace & Defense (A&D) program excellence in 2008. Award winners were announced at the annual Aviation Week A&D Programs Conference in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 13.

2008 Program Excellence Awards were given to Raytheon Missile Systems (MS) for its Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD™) and Jammer (MALD-J) program, and Raytheon Network Centric Systems (NCS) for its Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS).

Aviation Week is the largest multimedia information and services provider to the global A&D industries. The company’s Program Excellence Awards recognize programs that excel, based on complexity; operational and organizational performance; value creation; and meeting requirements, cost and schedule metrics.

MALD/MALD-J won in the Sub-System Research & Development/System Development and Demonstration (SDD) Phase Category. It is a state-of-the-art, low cost, air-launched programmable craft that duplicates the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft. In addition to offering protection, MALD provides counter air operations to neutralize air defense systems that pose a threat to U.S. and allied pilots.

AFATDS, which won in the System Production/Sustainment Category, is a fully automated, net-centric battle command and control system used to coordinate land, air and sea-based indirect fire systems in support of maneuver operations. AFATDS enables superior tactical mobility and efficiency by processing fire missions and other related information to coordinate and optimize fire support assets, including field artillery, missiles, attack helicopters and naval gunfire. This award is especially noteworthy, according to AFATDS Program Manager Steve Bohan, “...in that a ground-based system was recognized by Aviation Week.”

“The exceptional leadership demonstrated by these program managers and their teams creates new best practices, improves supply chain processes, and ensures programs stay on time and on budget,” said Tom Henricks, president of Aviation Week. “We are proud to honor them with Program Excellence Awards and congratulate them on their achievements.”