Raytheon to construct 70,000 square-foot Standard Missile Production Facility in Huntsville, Add 300 Jobs

Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the importance of the Raytheon announcement at a special media briefing.

Artist rendering of Raytheon’s newly announced 70,000 square-foot manufacturing facility on Redstone Arsenal. (click photo to enlarge)

July 23, 2010 - Raytheon Company recently announced plans to build a Standard Missile production facility in Huntsville. Raytheon intends to construct the 70,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art integration center on Redstone Arsenal.

Raytheon will use the factory for final assembly and testing of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). SM-3 production is expected to increase substantially in the next 10 years, and SM-6 production is expected to begin in 2010.

“Raytheon’s SM-3 is the centerpiece of the nation’s new missile defense strategy, and SM-6 will give the U.S. Navy a new, much-needed weapon system,” said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. “Combining SM-3 and SM-6 manufacturing into one facility will enable Raytheon to increase productivity and efficiency. The company will leverage state-of-the-art automation to enhance quality and safety and deliver lower-cost products to the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy customers.”

The 70,000-square-foot production facility will be constructed in two phases; each phase will be tied to SM-3 and SM-6 production contracts. Groundbreaking is expected later this year.

“We are very excited to have a manufacturing facility of this magnitude in the aerospace industry locate in Huntsville,” said Don Nalley, chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. “Raytheon has been a great partner in this community for years and we are very excited to be working with them on what promises to be an additional 300 employees and potentially even more in the future. None of this would have been possible without the help of our many local, state, regional and federal partners in economic development. I’d like to give special thanks to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, Gov. Bob Riley and the Alabama Development Office, our partners at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie and many others who come together to make projects such as this one possible.”

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle reiterated the importance of the announcement and Huntsville as a great place to conduct business.

“Raytheon is one of the jewels of our community and is exactly the type of company we seek to attract and grow here in Huntsville. It is a perfect fit for our city, our community and our state, with great defense jobs that offer high wages and opportunity for growth. Thanks in part to the strength of Redstone Arsenal, where this effort will be based, and our Cummings Research Park the 2nd largest research park in the United States, Raytheon’s expansion represents the way we want to see this sector develop,” Mayor Battle said.

At the Raytheon announcement, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said the job announcement was critical to Alabama’s continued growth.

“This new Raytheon integration center means more jobs for Alabama and is a clear demonstration of Raytheon’s strong partnership with the state,” said Alabama Gov. Bob Riley. “Raytheon continues to be an important piece of Alabama’s economic picture.”

SM-3 is being developed as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system. The missiles are deployed on U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers and Japanese destroyers to defend against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats in the ascent and midcourse phases of flight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby praised the announcement and said the announcement was good for Alabama and the nation’s missile defense program.

“The SM-3 is a vital component of our nation’s missile defense strategy,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. “I am proud of Alabama’s continuing role in defending the U.S. and its allies.”

SM-6 is an extended range anti-air warfare missile. Fired from navy ships, SM-6 provides over-the-horizon capabilities against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.