ARLINGTON, Va., : RTX Corporation has finalized a series of long-term framework agreements with the U.S. Department of War aimed at substantially increasing domestic production of several core missile systems used by U.S. forces and allied militaries. The agreements, executed through RTX’s Raytheon business, establish production terms spanning up to seven years and are intended to shift missile manufacturing to sustained, high-output rates aligned with wartime requirements.
The framework covers five separate agreements and sets new annual production ceilings for multiple missile families that have seen heavy operational use in recent years. Defense officials and industry sources say the arrangements are designed to stabilize supply chains, address depleted inventories, and provide predictable demand signals to the defense industrial base amid rising global security requirements.
Expanded Production Targets
Under the terms of the agreements, Raytheon will significantly increase annual output across several of the U.S. military’s most widely deployed missile systems. Production of Tomahawk cruise missile variants is set to rise to more than 1,000 missiles per year. The expanded output includes both the Land Attack version and the newer Maritime Strike Tomahawk, which is optimized for use against moving naval targets. In recent years, U.S. Navy procurement for its own inventories had averaged roughly 60 Tomahawks annually, underscoring the scale of the planned increase.
Annual production of the AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) will climb to at least 1,900 units. AMRAAM remains the primary beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapon for U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighters, as well as for numerous allied air forces operating fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft.
Output of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) will exceed 500 missiles per year under the framework. The SM-6 serves multiple roles, including fleet air defense, anti-surface warfare, and terminal ballistic missile defense, and is a key element of the Navy’s layered air and missile defense architecture.
The agreements also include provisions to expand production of SM-3 Block IIA interceptors and to accelerate deliveries of SM-3 Block IB missiles, which are used for midcourse ballistic missile defense in cooperation with allied partners.
Policy and Industrial Background
The framework agreements follow a period of heightened scrutiny of U.S. defense manufacturing capacity. In January 2026, Donald Trump publicly criticized RTX, describing it as the least responsive of the major defense contractors to Department of War requirements. The remarks focused on concerns that shareholder buybacks had taken priority over investment in production facilities and workforce expansion.
Subsequently, RTX announced plans to raise its capital expenditures for 2026 to $3.1 billion, an increase of approximately $500 million over prior projections. Company officials said the additional funding would be directed toward facility expansion, automation, and supply-chain resilience across Raytheon’s missile manufacturing operations.
The new framework agreements incorporate what RTX and government officials describe as a collaborative funding approach. The structure is intended to support long-term industrial investment while limiting the need for large upfront expenditures by the company, providing greater cost visibility and stability for both parties.
RTX Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chris Calio said the agreements are closely tied to the administration’s acquisition reform agenda and are designed to shorten delivery timelines for critical systems without altering program requirements.
Manufacturing Footprint
Missile production under the framework will be concentrated at three primary Raytheon sites. These include the company’s Missile Systems headquarters in Tucson, its advanced missile and interceptor facilities in Huntsville, and its manufacturing and integration operations in Andover.
Company officials said the agreements will allow Raytheon to expand staffing levels, secure long-lead components earlier, and invest in tooling and automation needed to sustain higher output over multiple years, rather than relying on short-term production surges.
Strategic Implications
Defense analysts note that the SM-6 production increase is particularly relevant for the protection of carrier strike groups and forward-deployed naval forces, especially against advanced anti-ship missiles guided by satellite and over-the-horizon targeting systems. The expanded Tomahawk output supports the U.S. Navy’s distributed lethality and long-range strike concepts, which emphasize dispersing offensive capability across a wider range of platforms.
The RTX agreements follow similar long-term production frameworks concluded earlier in the year with Lockheed Martin for Patriot PAC-3 and THAAD interceptor missiles. Together, the deals signal a broader shift in U.S. defense acquisition policy away from just-in-time procurement and toward sustained, high-volume production intended to maintain ready reserves and support allied requirements.
Officials familiar with the agreements say the framework model is expected to serve as a template for additional munitions programs as the Department of War seeks to align industrial capacity with long-term operational planning.
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