Arizona missile producer wins $63.3M contract for weapons program
Mar 7, 2019, 8:36 AM | Updated: 9:21 am
(Facebook/Raytheon)
(Facebook/Raytheon)
PHOENIX — A missile producer with a facility in Arizona has been awarded a $63.3 million contract to continue developing its hypersonic weapons program.
Raytheon Company said in a press release this week that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, contract will allow the company to further develop its Tactical Boost Glide hypersonic weapons program.
Hypersonic weapons will allow the military to attack from further away, more quickly and more effectively compared to current weapon systems.
“This latest contract adds to Raytheon’s growing number of hypersonic weapons programs,” Vice President Thomas Bussing said in a statement.
“Raytheon is working closely with our customers to quickly field these advanced weapon systems and provide our nation’s military with the tools they need to stay ahead of the escalating threat.”
The joint effort with the Air Force also includes a critical design review, which the company calls a “key step in fielding the technology.”
According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the program has been under development for five years but has no end date in sight.
The company expanded its Tucson facility last May. The 559,000-square-foot expansion included a testing facility, multi-purpose building, enhanced laboratories and engineering and manufacturing enhancements.
Raytheon produces advanced aerospace and defense technologies such as missile defense systems, hypersonic missiles and space vehicles.
