Raytheon expands radar and electronic warfare production in Mississippi
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Raytheon has completed a $50 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Forest, Mississippi, adding capacity for electronic warfare and radar systems used by the US and allied militaries.
The project adds 17,000 square feet to the site, bringing its total manufacturing space to 445,000 square feet. Raytheon expects the investment to create 100 high-skill jobs by 2028.
The new space will support production, testing and integration of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band, or NGJ-MB, pods for the US Navy and Australian government. It will also support other airborne radar programs.
The expansion adds to more than a decade of investment at Forest. Raytheon has also been increasing manufacturing capacity at other US sites as demand grows for radar, missile defense and electronic warfare systems.
The pattern reflects a wider challenge for defense manufacturers. As advanced systems enter regular production and operational use, companies need enough factory space, testing infrastructure and skilled workers to keep pace with demand.
The Mississippi plant is becoming a larger production hub
The Forest project is Raytheon’s third major expansion at the site in roughly a decade.
Earlier projects included a 20,000-square-foot addition in 2013 and a 50,000-square-foot radar production and testing facility completed in 2020. Together, the three projects represent $280 million in capital investment.
The Forest site is now one of the largest defense manufacturing facilities in Mississippi.
Its role also extends beyond assembly. The plant supports production, testing and integration, which are especially important as complex defense electronics move from development into regular production.
Advanced radar and electronic warfare systems combine hardware, software and sensitive electronic components. Increasing output therefore requires more than additional assembly stations. Manufacturers also need test equipment, trained workers and enough space to move systems through production without creating delays.
Raytheon’s plan to add 100 jobs by 2028 reflects those requirements. The new positions are expected to support higher production needs as defense programs move further into their operating life.
The site’s history also points to a long-term manufacturing strategy. Raytheon has continued to add space and equipment as the facility has taken on more production responsibilities.
Electronic warfare requirements are moving into production
One of the main programs supported by the latest expansion is NGJ-MB, an electronic attack system developed for the EA-18G Growler aircraft.
The US Navy declared initial operational capability for NGJ-MB in December 2024. The milestone showed that the system had reached the level of design, testing, production and logistical readiness needed for operational use.
NGJ-MB is designed to improve the Navy’s ability to disrupt hostile radar and communications systems. It forms part of the wider Next Generation Jammer program, which is intended to augment and eventually replace the older ALQ-99 tactical jamming system.
Moving from development into operational use changes the demands placed on manufacturers.
Engineering work continues, but production volume, repeatability and delivery schedules become more important as systems enter service. Maintenance, spare parts and future upgrades can also increase manufacturing requirements over time.
Australia’s involvement adds another dimension. The Forest plant will support NGJ-MB pods for both the US Navy and Australian government, giving the facility a role in allied as well as domestic production.
Forest has already supported NGJ-MB contract work. The latest expansion increases the infrastructure available as the program moves beyond initial fielding.
For the wider manufacturing sector, this shows how production requirements can continue to rise after a defense system reaches an operational milestone. Entering service often begins a longer period of production, maintenance and upgrades.
Raytheon is investing beyond a single Mississippi facility
The Forest project is part of a broader series of manufacturing investments by Raytheon.
In June 2026, RTX announced a $100 million investment at its Portsmouth, Rhode Island, site to increase radar testing and interceptor production. The company has also expanded radar manufacturing capacity in Andover, Massachusetts.
Raytheon is making similar investments around its SPY-6 radar program. The company has said it is supporting SPY-6 production with about $800 million in manufacturing modernization and plans to double production capacity by 2028.
Taken together, the projects point to a production strategy built around adding capacity at established US manufacturing sites.
Expanding existing plants can offer practical advantages. Manufacturers can build on workforces, supplier relationships and testing systems that are already in place. It can also reduce some of the time and cost involved in starting a new production operation.
However, more floor space does not automatically mean more output. New facilities also need equipment, trained workers, dependable suppliers and stable production processes.
This is becoming an important issue across defense manufacturing.
Demand for advanced defense systems can rise quickly, while the factories and workforces needed to produce them take longer to develop. Manufacturers therefore need to invest before capacity limits begin to affect delivery schedules.
The Forest expansion adds about 4% to the plant’s manufacturing footprint. Its significance comes from how that space will be used.
The investment is focused on electronic warfare and radar programs that are already moving through production and into wider operational use. It also forms part of a larger effort by Raytheon to increase output at several US sites.
For defense manufacturers, the issue is increasingly whether production infrastructure can grow fast enough to support sustained demand. Factory investment, testing capacity and skilled labor are becoming as important to delivery performance as the systems being produced.
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