Aerojet and Raytheon Complete System Integration Test for Standard Missile-3

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, and Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) announced today that the companies completed a kinetic warhead System Integration Test (SIT) for the Standard Missile-3 Block IB (SM-3 Blk IB) missile, verifying the ability of the kinetic warhead to detect, track and engage a ballistic missile target.

The test involves a fully operational, flight-weight kinetic warhead operating on an air-bearing test stand. The test was performed in a high-altitude chamber at Aerojet's Sacramento, Calif. facility. The kinetic warhead's seeker tracked a simulated target while the guidance computer sent information to the Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) to fire its thrusters as if it were conducting an actual flight mission. The TDACS fired its divert and attitude control thrusters and maintained aim on the target during the entire test sequence.

"Performing the successful test achieves an important and major TDACS milestone, further demonstrating the system's readiness for flight," said Vice President and Deputy to the President, Dick Bregard. "The Aerojet SM-3 Blk IB TDACS team is dedicated to achieving 100 percent mission success and to meeting the program's demanding schedule. Aerojet is committed, with the right people and robust production facilities, to deliver this critical system capability to the fleet in 2012."

Aerojet is a subcontractor to Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, Ariz., the prime contractor for the SM-3 program. Raytheon is developing SM-3 as part of the Missile Defense Agency's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. SM-3 will be deployed in both a sea-based and land-based mode as part of phase two of the Administration's Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense. Aerojet is developing the TDACS for the SM-3 Blk IB program.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company's excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies' websites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.

SOURCE Aerojet