The company was formed in 2020 by a merger of equals between the aerospace subsidiaries of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and the Raytheon Company. Before the merger, UTC spun off its non-aerospace subsidiaries Otis Elevator Company and Carrier Corporation. UTC is the nominal survivor of the merger but it changed its name to Raytheon Technologies and moved its headquarters to Waltham, Massachusetts.[2][11] Former UTC CEO and chairman Gregory J. Hayes is chairman and CEO of the combined company,[12] which changed its name to RTX in July 2023.
In 1925, the company changed its name to Raytheon Manufacturing Company and began marketing its rectifier under the Raytheon brand name, with commercial success. In 1928, Raytheon merged with Q.R.S. Company, an American manufacturer of electron tubes and switches, to form the successor of the same name, Raytheon Manufacturing Company.[citation needed] By the 1930s, it had already grown to become one of the world's largest vacuum tube manufacturing companies.[citation needed] In 1933 it diversified by acquiring Acme-Delta Company, a producer of transformers, power equipment, and electronic auto parts.
During World War II, Raytheon mass-manufactured magnetron tubes for use in microwave radar sets and then complete radar systems. At war's end in 1945, the company was responsible for about 80 percent of all magnetrons manufactured. During the war, Raytheon also pioneered the production of shipboard radar systems, particularly for submarine detection. Raytheon ranked 71st among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.[16] In 1945, Raytheon's Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven by discovering that the magnetron could rapidly heat food. In 1947, the company demonstrated the Radarange microwave oven for commercial use.
After the war, Raytheon developed the first guidance system for a missile that could intercept a flying target. In 1948, Raytheon began to manufacture guided missiles, including the SAM-N-2 Lark, and eventually the air-to-air AIM-7 Sparrow, and the ground-to-air MIM-23 Hawk missiles. In 1959, Raytheon acquired the marine electronics company Apelco Applied Electronics, which significantly increased its strength in commercial marine navigation and radio gear, and changed its name to Raytheon Company.
During the post-war years, Raytheon also made generally low- to medium-powered radio and television transmitters and related equipment for the commercial market. In the 1950s, Raytheon began manufacturing transistors, including the CK722, priced for and marketed to hobbyists. Under the direction of Thomas L. Phillips in 1965, it acquired Amana Refrigeration, Inc., a manufacturer of refrigerators and air conditioners. Using the Amana brand name and its distribution channels, Raytheon began selling the first countertop household microwave oven in 1967 and became a dominant manufacturer in the microwave oven business.
In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, Raytheon's Patriot missile received great international exposure. It was credited for downing Iraqi Scud missiles.[17] The exposure resulted in a substantial increase in sales for the company outside the United States. By 2006, Raytheon reported $283.9 million in global revenues for its Patriot missile system.[17]
In October 2014, Raytheon beat rivals Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for a contract to build 3DELRR, a next-generation long-range radar system, for the US Air Force worth an estimated $1 billion.[24] The contract award involved the construction of next-generation radar that can track aircraft, missiles, and remotely piloted aircraft.[25] It was immediately protested by Raytheon's competitors. After re-evaluating the bids following the protests,[26] the US Air Force decided to delay awarding the 3DELRR EMD contract until 2017 and was to issue an amended solicitation at the end of July 2016.[27] In 2017 the Air Force again awarded the contract to Raytheon.[28]
In May 2015, Raytheon acquired cybersecurity firm Websense, Inc. from Vista Equity Partners for $1.9 billion[29] and combined it with RCP, formerly part of its IIS segment to form Raytheon|Websense.[30] In October 2015, Raytheon|Websense acquired Foreground Security, a provider of security operations centers, managed security service solutions[buzzword] and cybersecurity professional services,[31] for $62 million.[32] In January 2016, Raytheon|Websense acquired the firewall provider Stonesoft from Intel Security for an undisclosed amount and renamed itself to Forcepoint.[33]
In July 2016, Poland's Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz planned to sign a letter of intent with Raytheon for a $5.6 billion deal to upgrade its Patriot missile-defence shield,[34][35] and in 2017, Saudi Arabia signed business deals worth billions of dollars with multiple American companies, including Raytheon.[36][37]
In February 2020, Raytheon completed the first radar antenna array for the US Army's new missile defense radar, known as the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), to replace the service's Patriot air and missile defense system sensor.[38]
During World War II, United Aircraft ranked sixth among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.[16] At the close of the war, United Aircraft entered the emerging markets for jet engines and helicopters, via Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky, respectively.[40]
In the 1950s, United Aircraft began developing jet engines, including the Pratt & Whitney J57, the most powerful jet engine on the market for some years.[40] In the 1960s, Pratt & Whitney produced the Pratt & Whitney JT9D for the Boeing 747.[40]
In 1974, Harry Jack Gray left Litton Industries to become the CEO of United Aircraft.[40] He pursued a strategy of growth and diversification, changing the parent corporation's name to United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in 1975 to reflect the intent to diversify into numerous high tech fields beyond aerospace.[44] (The change became official on May 1, 1975.) The diversification was partially to balance civilian business against any overreliance on military business.[40] UTC became a mergers and acquisitions (M&A)–focused organization, with various forced takeovers of unwilling smaller corporations.[40] The next year (1976), UTC forcibly acquired Otis Elevator.[45] In 1979, Carrier Refrigeration was acquired;[46]
At one point the military portion of UTC's business, whose sensitivity to "excess profits" and boom/bust demand drove UTC to diversify away from it, actually carried the weight of losses incurred by the commercial M&A side of the business.[40] Although M&A activity was not new to United Aircraft, the M&A activity of the 1970s and 1980s was higher-stakes and arguably unfocused. Rather than aviation being the central theme of UTC businesses, high tech (of any type) was the new theme. Some Wall Street watchers questioned the true value of M&A at almost any price, seemingly for its own sake.[40]
In June 2019, United Technologies announced the intention to merge with the Raytheon Company. The combined company, valued at more than $100 billion after planned spinoffs, would be the world's second-largest aerospace-and-defense company by sales behind Boeing.[55] Although UTC was the legal survivor, the merged company took the name Raytheon Technologies and based its headquarters at Raytheon's former campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, rather than UTC's former base in Farmington, Connecticut.[56] The merger was completed in April 2020.[11] Raytheon Technologies began trading at $51 per share, on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RTX.[57][58]
On July 28, 2020, the company announced cutting of over 8,000 jobs in its commercial aviation division due to travel slowdown induced by the global COVID-19 pandemic.[59]
In December 2020, the Board of Directors authorized a $5 billion repurchase of common stock.[60]
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, major arms manufacturers, including Raytheon Technologies,[61] reported a sharp increase in interim sales and profits.[62][63][64]
On June 7, 2022, the company announced plans to move its global headquarters to Arlington, Virginia.[5] The move was completed in July.[6]
In January 2023, Raytheon Technologies announced it would combine its missiles and defense division and intelligence and space division into a single business unit, effective July 1. The reorganization created three divisions at Raytheon Technologies: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon.[65] The reorganization was preceded by the rebranding to RTX in June 2023.
RTX
In July 2023, Raytheon Technologies Corporation changed its name to RTX Corporation.[4]
RTX's supply of weapons to Israel led to protests against the company during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[66] On December 14, 2023, for example, protestors blocked the entrance to an RTX facility in Arizona.[67] In early 2024, 15 people were arrested after blocking access to RTX and BAE Systems facilities in Louisville, Kentucky in protest against supplying weapons to Israel.[68]
In December 2023, RTX announced that CEO Greg Hayes would step down the following May and be replaced by company president Christopher Calio.[69]
In August 2024, RTX was fined US$200 million for International Traffic in Arms Regulations violations, including exchanging data and products with prohibited countries such as China.[70]
Business units
After the 2020 merger, Raytheon Technologies Corporation consisted of four business units:
Collins Aerospace: Designs and manufactures aerospace systems for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft; a major supplier for international space programs. Provides industrial products for the hydrocarbon, chemical, and food processing industries, construction and mining companies. Collins Aerospace was formed following UTC's acquisition of Rockwell Collins in 2018 and combining that business with UTC Aerospace Systems, which itself was the result of a 2012 merger of Hamilton Sundstrand and the Goodrich Corporation.
RTX Corporation has agreed to pay over $950 million to resolve multiple federal investigations involving bribery, government contracting violations, and export control breaches. [73][74] The settlement, announced on October 16, 2024, includes penalties for bribing a Qatari official with ties to the country's royal family and defrauding the U.S. Defense Department in procurement contracts. According to the SEC's order, Raytheon used sham subcontracts with a supplier to pay bribes of nearly $2 million to Qatari military and other officials to obtain defense contracts. Additionally, for almost two decades until 2020, Raytheon paid more than $30 million to a Qatari agent related to the Qatari Emir, despite the agent lacking a background in defense contracting. The second agreement, made with DOJ officials in Boston, involves RTX paying $574 million to settle allegations of overcharging in federal contracts. This includes schemes to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense in connection with the provision of defense products and services, such as PATRIOT missile systems and radar systems intended for an undisclosed foreign customer. [75] As part of the settlement, RTX will also pay a $124 million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has acknowledged responsibility for the misconduct, which largely occurred prior to 2020, and has stated that it is working on remediation efforts. [76]
Footnotes
^On June 7, 2022, the company announced plans to move its global headquarters to Arlington, Virginia.[5] The move was completed in July.[6]
^ abSorenson, David S. (2009). The Process and Politics of Defense Acquisition: A Reference Handbook: A Reference Handbook. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International. p. 188. ISBN978-0-313-34843-3.
^ abNolan, Peter (2001). China and the Global Business Revolution. Hampshire, UK: Springer. p. 147. ISBN978-1-349-42100-8.
^Pavelec, S. Mike (2010). The military-industrial complex and American society. ABC-CLIO. ISBN9781598841886.
^Jump up ^ Staff (November 14, 2007). "Business Briefs". The Lowell Sun (MediaNews Group)
^ abcdefghijFernandez, Ronald (1983), Excess Profits: The Rise of United Technologies, Boston: Addison-Wesley, ISBN9780201104844.
^Herman, Arthur. Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, p. 6, Random House, New York, NY, 2012. ISBN978-1-4000-6964-4.
^ abGershon, Eric (January 1, 2010). "UTC Boss Looks To Make His Mark". Hartford Courant. Vol. CLXXIV, no. 1. Hartford, Connecticut: The Hartford Courant Company. pp. A1, A8 – via Newspapers.com. The main citation is for Page A1; Page A8 appears in this clipping.