CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – 15 August 2007: Raytheon Company, a defence technology leader, demonstrated its global commitment to maths and science students in middle school years today in a AUD$1million partnership with Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre.

The partnership with Questacon is Raytheon’s largest community initiative undertaken by Raytheon outside the United States. It seeks to inspire young Australians into the world of maths and science through ‘Imagination Factory’ – a new exhibit which tells the systems integration story and shows how things work together as systems to do inventive things.

“Our company is endowed with some of the smartest, most innovative and capable engineers in our industry. Each and every day Raytheon engineers are integrating and supporting the systems that allow Australia’s fighting men and women to safely defend the nation’s people, interests and values. We are grateful for the privilege that has been given to us by the Australian Government and today we are giving something back to the community.” said Ron Fisher, managing director of Raytheon Australia.

The relationship Raytheon is forging with Questacon is much more than a sponsorship. It is a true partnership on the part of the company and its employees to do something valuable with Questacon to meet a real community need.

“We are proud of our systems integration pedigree and I am especially proud that some of our employees will be volunteering their time to act as guides in the Imagination Factory exhibition to share their passion for science and engineering. I want them to inspire those who come to Questacon just as this national institution has, for years, inspired Australians to take an interest in science. As this exhibition travels to locations across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Ipswich local Raytheon employees will be playing their part to make this initiative a success”, Ron Fisher said. 

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With facilities located across the country, Raytheon Australia is a highly capable prime contractor with an engineering and technical workforce of over 1300 backed by world-class management and quality systems.This local presence is bolstered by strong relationships with small and medium sized enterprises and access to the global resources of Raytheon Company.

Raytheon Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN). Raytheon Company, with 2006 sales of US$20.3 billion, is a technology leader specialising in defence, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 85 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.