Raytheon Missiles & Defense

Raytheon Missiles & Defense is a major business unit of RTX Corporation, formed in 2020 through the merger of the Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, it consolidates the legacy Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and Raytheon Missile Systems divisions. The organization is a leading designer, developer, and manufacturer of integrated air and missile defense systems, precision strike weapons, and advanced sensor technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense, allied governments, and commercial customers worldwide.

History

The lineage of Raytheon Missiles & Defense traces directly to the core missile and defense electronics businesses of the historic Raytheon Company, founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1922. Key historical developments include pioneering work on radar technology during World War II and the post-war development of the Sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The acquisition of Hughes Aircraft's missile business in 1997 significantly expanded its portfolio. Following the landmark merger with United Technologies Corporation in 2020, which created Raytheon Technologies (later renamed RTX Corporation), the former Raytheon defense businesses were reorganized into this distinct entity, alongside Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney.

Products and technologies

The company's portfolio encompasses a wide array of advanced systems. In air defense, this includes the Patriot air and missile defense system, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) developed with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and the Standard Missile family for naval vessels. Precision strike products feature the Tomahawk cruise missile, the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), and the Small Diameter Bomb II. It also produces the AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, the Excalibur precision artillery round, and advanced directed energy systems like high-energy lasers. Critical enabling technologies are developed at facilities such as the Raytheon Intelligence & Space (now part of RTX Corporation) site in McKinney, Texas.

Major programs and contracts

Raytheon Missiles & Defense is a prime contractor or key supplier on numerous high-profile DoD programs. It serves as the systems integrator for the U.S. Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) and the Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) radar for Missile Defense Agency systems. The company produces the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) for defense against hypersonic threats and is a major partner on the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program. Internationally, it has secured significant foreign military sales contracts for the Patriot system with nations like Germany, Poland, and Switzerland, and provides missiles for platforms including the F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Corporate structure and operations

As a business unit of RTX Corporation, Raytheon Missiles & Defense operates under the leadership of President Wesley D. Kremer and is structured around integrated product lines and functional organizations. Major operational sites include its headquarters and primary manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona, a significant production and engineering center in Huntsville, Alabama (part of the Cummings Research Park), and other key locations in Andover, Massachusetts, and Goleta, California. The unit works closely with other RTX businesses, such as Collins Aerospace for avionics and Pratt & Whitney for propulsion, and maintains extensive partnerships with other defense primes like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman on various joint programs.

See also

* RTX Corporation * Defense industry of the United States * Missile defense * List of defense contractors

Category:RTX Corporation Category:Defense companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Tucson, Arizona Category:Missile manufacturers