Date posted: 04/07/2008*

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems’ (SAS) facility in El Segundo, Calif., recently played host to the state-of-the-art F-22 flight demonstrator. SAS was the latest stop in the national tour of the F-22 Raptor program’s vendor sites. Raytheon SAS provides the processor and 40 percent of the radar for the F-22.

The visit recognized Raytheon’s outstanding commitment to effective teamwork and performance on the program. “We’ve had 100-percent on-time delivery to Lockheed for the last three years,” said Janne Ackerman, director of SAS’ Airborne Processors Programs. “We’re currently delivering 60 days ahead of schedule, which is the most the contract will allow.”

Jim Conlin, marketing manager for the F-22, praised Raytheon’s efforts. “We’ve been very pleased with Raytheon’s performance on this program. Our F-22 team has accomplished something that’s never been done before — it’s revolutionary. No one knew how well it would actually work, but it’s exceeded all our expectations.”

Conlin was referring to the first-ever functional integration of sensors and avionics on a stealthy, super-cruise combat fighter aircraft. The Common Integrated Processor (CIP) is the first fully integrated, multilevel secure avionics processor system to host all the applications needed to support fifth-generation integrated combat missions. The two CIPs aboard each Raptor operate at 10.5 billion instructions per second — 100,000 times faster than the computers on the Apollo Lunar Module. Raytheon also supplies the single-board computer that manages five Raptor subsystems.

Local politicians, media representatives and Raytheon employees all took the opportunity to be virtual fighter pilots in the world’s most advanced stealth combat aircraft. Chad Pillsbury, program manager for CIP production at the El Segundo facility and one of about 220 SAS employees on the program, took a turn at the controls. “It’s incredible,” he said.

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