Raytheon, an RTX business, announced Monday it will invest $100 million to expand its Portsmouth facility, a project the company says will bring 150 high-tech jobs to the state.
The expansion is intended to accelerate testing of the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, by increasing capacity, and to boost production of subcomponents for the Patriot GEM-T missile to meet growing global demand. LTAMDS is a radar designed to defeat advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons.
“This investment strengthens our ability to deliver critical air and missile defense capabilities to customers around the world,” said Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. He said expanding in Portsmouth would let the company scale production and ensure the U.S. Army and international partners receive the systems as quickly as possible.
Raytheon is under contract for multiple LTAMDS radars for the U.S. Army and Poland, and the company said the program recently completed its ninth successful flight test, using the radar to track and intercept a surrogate target. The Patriot GEM-T is a primary effector for the Patriot air and missile defense system, designed to intercept airborne threats including tactical ballistic missiles.
The announcement comes eight months after the company broke ground on a $53 million expansion of its radar production facility in Andover, Massachusetts.
RTX businesses have operated in Rhode Island for more than 60 years and currently employ more than 850 people, according to the company. Raytheon said its Portsmouth campus plays a role supporting undersea technology, combat systems and radars. RTX, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, reported 2025 sales of more than $88 billion.
