Raytheon to deploy sensors for force protection

Raytheon Co. won a $10.1 million contract from the Army to provide towers arrayed with sensors to help protect U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Under the contract, Raytheon of Waltham, Mass., will deliver 16 Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) tower systems, which can be operated remotely, to the Army.

The company will establish a systems engineering approach for the program that includes linking the towers to other existing Army systems. The company also will furnish lifecycle maintenance and support.

RAID is a persistent surveillance system that has infrared sensor systems elevated on a stationary platform. The towers can detect hostile troop and equipment movement at considerable distances to assist armed forces in detecting and responding to threats.

The company will construct the towers at its facilities in Andover, Mass., and Huntsville, Ala. Raytheon plans to complete delivery September.

Raytheon has 73,000 employees and had annual sales of $20.3 billion in 2006. The company ranks No. 6 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.