Raytheon moving global HQ to Arlington

Raytheon Technologies Corp. announced June 7 that it will relocate its global headquarters from Massachusetts to Arlington in the third quarter of this year, a move that will make four of the top five U.S.-based aerospace and defense contractors headquartered in Virginia. Raytheon is the second-largest defense company in the world, just below Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp., and will be the commonwealth’s largest aerospace and defense contractor.

The news follows a May announcement that the world’s third-largest defense contractor, Chicago-based The Boeing Co., is also moving its global headquarters to Arlington. Raytheon and Boeing join Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman Corp. and Reston-based General Dynamics Corp., which rank fourth and fifth respectively among the world’s largest defense contractors.

Raytheon’s new headquarters will be in Arlington’s Rosslyn neighborhood, near the company’s existing Raytheon Intelligence & Space business there. Raytheon has not sought or accepted financial incentives from the state, the company noted in a release. A spokesperson said that Raytheon expects to “slightly expand the scope of our existing leased space in Arlington,” where 130 corporate staff members currently work. Chris Johnson, senior director of global media relations, says that the company does not expect its corporate staff to increase significantly.

In a statement, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said, “I commend Raytheon Technologies’ leadership and pledge that Virginia is committed to being a partner in their mission to build a safer, more connected world. With four of the top five major U.S. aerospace and defense leaders now based in Virginia, [Raytheon’s] decision to headquarter in Arlington demonstrates the commonwealth is the best destination for the aerospace and defense community.”

Raytheon has 600 facilities in 44 states and territories, and all four of its business units have operations in Virginia, where it has more than 1,000 employees and is a top employer in Loudoun County and Falls Church. The company, which employs more than 180,000 people worldwide, reported $64.38 billion in 2021 sales. Raytheon Technologies formed in 2020 following the merger of Raytheon Co. with the aerospace business of United Technologies Corp.

“We are thrilled to welcome Raytheon Technologies’ global headquarters to Virginia, America’s corporate hometown,” Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Jason El Koubi says. “Raytheon Technologies’ global headquarters location will reinforce strategic partnerships and further strengthen Virginia’s aerospace and defense ecosystem in areas like avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics and quantum physics.”