Amberley – 12 December 2010: In a special event at RAAF Base Amberley on Sunday Raytheon Australia acknowledged the role of the company’s employees who have worked on the F-111 in the years the company has been associated with the aircraft.

During a farewell BBQ, Raytheon employees and their families were provided with an opportunity to be photographed in front of the aircraft they have been privileged to support.

The event also provided the company with an appropriate opportunity to acknowledge the conclusion of an enduring partnership between the Defence Material Organisation’s Strike Reconnaissance System Program Office (SRSPO) and Raytheon Australia.

The relationship between SRSPO and Raytheon Australia developed in the years after the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) commercialised the Royal Australian Air Force’s support for the       F-111 weapon system in 2001. Responsible for deeper maintenance, engineering and logistics support for F-111 avionics, SRSPO and Raytheon Australia developed a trusted partnership through the Avionics Business Unit Contract (AVBU) which delivered significant benefits to the F-111, DMO, defence industry and the Australian taxpayer.

By the time the F-111 element of the AVBU contract comes to an end, SRSPO and Raytheon will have achieved financial savings realised over the decade of the AVBU contract, accompanied by an improvement in levels of safety, regulatory compliance and operational support to the F-111.

Raytheon Australia’s Managing Director, Michael Ward paid tribute to the trusted partnership on F-111. “Our experience has shown that customer satisfaction is best achieved when the contractor is focused on delivering upon its commitments through strong contract performance and on anticipating changing customer needs. When this occurs in a business relationship based on trust there is enormous potential to share in significant mutual benefits.”

While a significant chapter in RAAF avionics maintenance and engineering ended on 3 December, the relationship between SRSPO/DMO and Raytheon Australia that developed on the back of the F-111 partnership will continue.

The highly trained and experienced Raytheon Australia workforce that has maintained and provided engineering and logistics support to the F-111 continues in the Raytheon Support Facility (RSF). As a centre of excellence, the RSF is delivering electronics and avionics maintenance to a wide variety of Aerospace, Naval, Land and defence industry customers.

-End-

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 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 75,000 people worldwide.

Further information:
Jessica Thomas
Jessica.Thomas@raytheon.com.au                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    0402 232 228