RTX is investing $100 million to expand a Raytheon facility in Rhode Island as demand for air and missile defense systems continues to rise.
The investment will increase testing capacity for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar and boost production of Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) components at the company’s Portsmouth site.
The project will support additional testing of LTAMDS, a next-generation radar designed to detect and track advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons. The company is currently under contract to provide LTAMDS systems to the US Army and Poland.
Alongside radar testing, the Rhode Island facility will increase production of components for the Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T interceptor. The missile is used by Patriot air defense systems to counter aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles.
Raytheon Land & Air Defense Systems president Tom Laliberty said that the investment would “ensure the US Army and international partners receive these systems as quickly as possible.”
US Defense Firms’ Expansion
Raytheon’s latest investment is part of a wider trend of defense contractors expanding production facilities across the US to meet growing military demand.
In June, L3Harris Technologies announced a $25-million investment to expand its Huntsville, Alabama, footprint and support solid rocket motor production, adding 130,000 square feet (12,077 square meters) of manufacturing space.
May also saw several expansion projects. Rajant unveiled plans to grow its Kentucky Defense Manufacturing Innovation Hub in Morehead to support drone, motor, and aerospace production.
Ultra Maritime opened an expanded facility in North Carolina for the development and manufacturing of naval radar systems, while BAE Systems committed $135 million to modernize and expand facilities in Texas and New Hampshire to boost production capacity and support military readiness programs.
