MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Leadership at the Raytheon Missile Integration Facility in Huntsville were joined this week by Gov. Kay Ivey to celebrate the groundbreaking on a $115 million expansion to the facility, an expansion that will increase the facility’s footprint by more than 50%.
Located in the Redstone Arsenal military base, the facility handles one of the later stages of missile development, the integration phase, which implements its launching mechanisms. The Huntsville facility produces nine different variants of missiles, as well various defense systems, including the first-of-its-kind Glide Phase Interceptor, a hypersonic missile defense system.
“Alabama has always been a beacon for innovation across all industries, especially in the realm of defense,” Ivey said.
“With our rich history in aerospace and flight, it comes as no surprise that Raytheon has once again chosen Alabama – and specifically, Huntsville – for this expansion. Some people call it the ‘Rocket City,’ I’ll raise that and say the brightest minds in aerospace and defense call it home.”
The expansion will add 26,000 square feet of additional space to the facility, and will create an estimated 185 jobs, bringing the total employment of RTX — Raytheon’s parent company — in the Huntsville area to 2,200.
The Huntsville facility is also the only place in the world where all four of Raytheon’s technology businesses – Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney – have a physical footprint.
“This important investment in the Huntsville region will help us meet the growing needs of our military customers and service members,” said Phil Jasper, president of Raythron, in a statement.
“It will also ready our operations to accelerate delivery of our vital counter-hypersonic solution.”
The defense industry has generated a significant economic impact in the state of Alabama, estimated to be $50.3 billion annually in 2023, providing almost 265,000 jobs across the state with an annual payroll of $19.3 billion.
Redstone Arsenal alone employs more than 143,000 people and accounted for $27 billion of the estimated $50.3 billion impact.
Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair, who began her role leading the department earlier this year, also attended the groundbreaking ceremony, and in a statement spoke to the role defense contractors like Raythron played on the world stage.
“Raytheon’s missile integration center, its Huntsville employees and the innovative products that are assembled at the facility are important national assets,” McNair said.
“The security of our country could one day depend on these technologies, and I’m proud that they come to life in Alabama.”
The Alabama Department of Commerce did not offer Raythron or its parent company any state economic incentives for the expansion according to records.
The facility first opened in 2012, and according to Raytheon, construction on the 26,000 square-foot expansion is expected to be complete sometime in 2025.
Globally, Raytheon employs more than 185,000 employees, and had sales of $68.9 billion in 2023.