FALLS CHURCH, Va., Oct. 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) provided a disaster planning and recovery resource tool to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during its efforts to prepare for, and mitigate the effects of, natural disasters.

Raytheon's Department of Defense-Defense Support Civil Authority Automated Support System, or DDASS, supported Northern Command and FEMA's efforts for the 2008 hurricane season. During Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans, the DDASS system coordinated requests for the DoD's assistance in transporting residents from Louis Armstrong International Airport out of harm's way.

DDASS is a command and control system adapted from Raytheon's Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System, a solution designed to provide soldiers the ability to manage and direct available resources in and around the battlefield in a time sensitive manner. The system provides a single operational picture across response levels to more effectively identify and apply the resources and capabilities of every stakeholder. For example, DDASS offers a disaster recovery team visibility of available equipment, transportation, facilities, rescue/medical personnel, funding and how those resources are being applied. It also streamlines the approval process so that requests are managed in a parallel fashion saving critical time in the application of national and DoD disaster response capabilities.

'While JADOCS was initially developed for the battlefield, its inherent capabilities make it an ideal tool for civil command and control applications,' said Jack Harrington, vice president, Raytheon Network Centric Systems' Command and Control Systems. 'DDASS provides agencies with access to a tool that increases efficiency by coordinating disaster response and humanitarian mission requirements across all stakeholders simultaneously.'

Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 86 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.

Note to editors:

Northern Command was established by the Department of Defense to plan, organize and execute homeland defense and civil support missions.

    Contact:
    Jennifer Griffith
    703.725.8920

SOURCE Raytheon Company