Raytheon (US)

World ranking: 3
Total military sales: $15.3bn
Military sales as % of total sales: 91%
Employees:76,400¹(approx. 1,750 in the UK)²
Military products include: missiles, surveillance and targeting systems
Raytheon Company, 141 Spring Street, Lexington,MA 02421, USA

Lockheed Martin websites

Background

Raytheon has four business areas: Missile Defense; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; Precision Engagement; and Homeland Security. It is most famous for missiles - as Raytheon says, its 'range of weapon systems needs little introduction. The company is a global leader in the development and deployment of advanced technology missile systems and air combat and strike systems.'³

Raytheon in the UK

Raytheon's UK subsidiary, Raytheon Systems Ltd, is head-quartered in London and has facilities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.⁴ Raytheon weapons in use by the UK include Paveway II and Paveway III bombs, AMRAAM air-to-air Missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Raytheon Systems Ltd provides integration and support for these. The UK MoD recently selected Raytheon to provide the Paveway IV precision-guided bomb, a deal worth more than £300m including aircraft integration.⁵

What it makes

Missiles for the 'free world': Probably the best known of its long inventory of missiles are the Stinger family of surface-to-air missiles and the Tomahawk cruise missile. However, there are plenty more examples including Paveway bombs, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Joint Standoff Weapons, Sidewinder and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles and Maverick air-to-ground missiles.⁶ The Maverick guided missile has been in service with the US Air Force since 1972⁷ and, according to Raytheon, 'is the most widely used precision-guided missile in the free world'.⁸

Since 1999, both the Tomahawk cruise missile and the AGM-154A Joint Standoff Weapon have been used against Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and, most recently, Iraq. Both of these missiles can be equipped to deploy cluster submunitions.⁹

Radar and targeting: Raytheon also specialises in radar, surveillance and targeting systems. These are in use on most US-produced combat aircraft including the Special Forces AC-130U and AC-130H airborne gunships.¹⁰ One group of such systems is referred to as the 'Terminator family of targeting systems' which is in use in the F-18 Hornet fighter and the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle.¹¹

Ballistic Missile Defense: Raytheon is one of the big four Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) companies and has extensive involvement in each of the four main segments of the programme (boost, mid-course, terminal and sensors).¹² Its involvement includes production of the Standard Missile-3, being systems integrator for the (Patriot) PAC-3 system and prime contractor for the 'Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle' and both the X-band and Upgraded Early Warning Radars.

Exports

Raytheon exports billions of dollars worth of military equipment each year. In 2002 its total exports amounted to $2.6 billion.¹² Its client list includes Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Greece, Taiwan and South Korea.¹³ The AIM-120 air-to-air missile alone has been sold to more than 20 countries, including 'recent controversial offers' to Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.¹⁴

References

Unless otherwise indicated, world ranking (by military sales), military sales and military sales percentage are sourced from Defense News (21.7.03) and refer to 2002

1 www.raytheon.com/about, accessed 13.8.03
2 www.raytheon.co.uk/about_raytheon/business_units/index.htm? menu=business_units, accessed 13.08.03. Calculations made based on number of employees at each business unit
3 www.raytheon.co.uk/what_we_do/weapons/index.htm?menu=weapons, accessed 23.8.03
4 www.raytheon.co.uk/about_raytheon/business_units/index.htm? menu=business_units, accessed 13.08.03
5 Flight International, 'UK selects Paveway IV for precision bomb', 17- 23.6.03
6 www.raytheon.com/businesses/rms/index.html, accessed 29.7.03
7 www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/agm-65.htm, accessed 29.7.03
8 www.raytheon.com/products/maverick/, accessed 29.7.03
9 www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.htm; www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/agm-154.htm; accessed 23.8.03
10 www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/updates/032403.html#I, accessed 23.8.03
11 www.raytheon.com/products/terminator/, accessed 23.8.03
12 raytheonmissiledefense.com, accessed 23.8.03
13 www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030503-patriot-orders01.htm, accessed 23.8.03
14 www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/updates/032403.html#I, accessed 29.7.03

Company Websites (including subsidiaries & joint ventures)

Raytheon
Avica UK (100%)
Raytheon Systems Ltd (UK) (100%)
Thales Raytheon Systems (50%)

[Published: September 2003]