Raytheon gets $284m pact

Raytheon Co., the world's largest missile maker, won a $284 million contract for its first sale of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to Pakistan.

The agreement, the largest international order for the weapon, includes 500 missiles to be delivered between 2008 and 2011, the Waltham-based company said yesterday. The order also includes 200 Sidewinder missiles.

Pakistan, a US ally in the war on terrorism, has used closer ties to upgrade its military with the latest equipment. In July, the Pentagon disclosed plans to sell $5 billion worth of weapons to Pakistan, including Raytheon's air-to-air missiles, as well as 36 new F-16 fighter jets made by Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin Corp.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has cooperated with the United States as it fights al-Qaeda along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In June, shortly before the Pentagon revealed the planned weapons sale to Pakistan, Musharraf pledged to deploy about 10,000 more troops on the border to deter infiltrations.

Raytheon's Amraam allows pilots to target enemy aircraft beyond their visual range day or night, and in all weather. The weapon is now used by 32 countries, Raytheon said.