Raytheon secures $1.1B contract to increase production and jobs
The Raytheon Student Leadership Suite gives clubs and organizations, such as the Cardinal Design-Build team, a dedicated home. Here (left to right), faculty adviser Dean Papajohn and civil and architectural engineering and mechanics students Lily Trenkamp, Lauren Johnson, Reuel Florendo, Kenadee Carruthers and Macie Balkan celebrate their win at the Design-Build Institute of America's competition in November 2024.
Robb McCormick Photography
Raytheon, an RTX business, has won a $1.1 billion contract from the U.S. Navy to produce advanced missiles, the latest and largest award for the program and a favorable development for Tucson, where most of the weapons will be made.
The contract will boost Raytheon’s yearly production from 1,400 of its AIM-9X Block II missiles currently to 2,500 missiles annually.
Raytheon and parent RTX Corp. currently employ more than 12,500 people in Arizona, up from 11,000 as of last year’s Arizona Republic 100 special report, published in September. The company is one of the largest employers in the state.
The defense contractor holds a long-standing relationship with the University of Arizona's College of Engineering, having sponsored the last two winning Interdisciplinary Capstone teams at the Craig M. Berge Design Day. In March, the company made a $2M gift commitment for the college's Student Design and Innovation Center.