REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL , March 17th, 1998 -- Jan Gmelich Meijling, State Secretary for Defence of the Netherlands, watched two first-time U.S. Army gunners team up with the shoulder-fired JAVELIN missile system to record direct hits against tank targets at 400 and 2400 meters February 12.

Mr. Gmelich Meijling and a delegation of Dutch officials are at Redstone Arsenal for discussions on the JAVELIN system, which The Netherlands is considering for its own armed forces. Joining the talks are Robert Keltz, U.S. Army Director of International Development and Security Assistance; Paul Hoeper, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for International and Cooperative Programs and who was recently nominated to be the Army Acquisition Executive; and BG Nance, PEO, Tactical Missiles.

"This is a very good performance," stated Secretary Gmelich Miejling, as quoted in the February 13th The Birmingham News.

JAVELIN is a high technology medium range fire-and-forget anti armor system developed and manufactured by the TI/Martin JAVELIN Joint Venture formed by Raytheon Systems Company and Lockheed Martin. JAVELIN entered service with the Army in 1996, to replace the aging Dragon system.

The JAVELIN system includes an imaging infrared missile which can be fired from within enclosures; and a command launch unit (CLU) with a day sight and an imaging infrared sight for use at night or in reduced visibility. The system's accuracy, range and fire-and-forget capability greatly enhance gunner survivability and rate-of-fire on the modern battlefield. JAVELIN is being offered under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The TI/Martin JAVELIN Joint Venture was formed in 1989 to manage development and production of the JAVELIN advanced antitank weapon system. Principal contractors to the joint venture are the Strike Weapons segment of Raytheon Systems Company (RSC), formerly Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics, located in Lewisville, Texas; and Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

RSC designs, develops, and produces sophisticated defense systems including missile systems, tactical weapons, electro-optics, airborne radar and avionics systems, and electronic warfare systems that are used by sea, air, and ground forces around the world. More information about RSC can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.raytheon.com/rtis.

Raytheon Company, headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, is a $20 billion global, technology leader which operates in the commercial and defense electronics, engineering and construction, and aircraft markets. More information about Raytheon can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.raytheon.com.