JACKSON (Courtesy: Mississippi Development Authority) – Raytheon, an RTX business, broke ground today on a 17,000-square-foot expansion of its Consolidated Manufacturing Center in Forest. The project is a $50 million corporate investment and will create 100 high-skill jobs over the next five years.
Raytheon will construct a new building on its Forest campus to serve as a hub for the production, test and integration of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods for the U.S. Navy and Australian government, as well as airborne radar programs. This investment marks Raytheon’s third expansion in Forest since 2013.
The Mississippi Development Authority and Scott County partnered with Raytheon to support building improvements and facility expansion needs for the project.
NGJ-MB is an advanced electronic attack system that denies, disrupts and degrades enemy technology, including communication tools and air defense systems. Raytheon began Low-Rate Initial Production in Forest in 2021 and was awarded a third LRIP contract in 2023, enabling the team to begin delivering this critical capability for the U.S. Navy fleet and beyond.
For 40 years, Raytheon has been part of the Forest community. RTX employs more than 1,000 people and spends over $253 million annually with Mississippi suppliers. Construction of the new facility will begin in October 2023 with completion expected by December 2026.
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“Our state is proud to help bolster our nation’s security and to be on the cutting edge of innovation in the aerospace and defense realms. This $50 million investment and the 100 high-quality new jobs that it will create further solidifies that role and is tremendous news for Scott County and all of Mississippi. I want to thank Raytheon for their continued commitment to our state and for once again investing here. I look forward to seeing their continued success.” – Gov. Tate Reeves
“This new expansion represents another major investment in Mississippi’s defense manufacturing capacity. The Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band will provide critical electronic warfare capabilities and is a key enabler for U.S. operations. I am grateful to Raytheon for once again choosing our state’s talented workforce. As ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue working to provide our nation’s military with the tools it needs to keep Americans safe.” – Senator Roger Wicker
“Raytheon’s significant investment and creation of so many new jobs in Scott County will certainly have a positive, lasting impact on the local economy and central Mississippi as a whole. Each one of these new jobs will generate an increased demand for goods and services locally and throughout the region; therefore, many individuals and businesses will benefit indirectly because of Raytheon’s decision to grow once again in Forest. MDA is proud to support Raytheon with this important project, and we thank the Raytheon team for their continued partnership with the state of Mississippi.” – MDA Deputy Executive Director Laura Hipp
“As a long-time partner, we see the value of continued investment in Mississippi and its workforce. Our Forest facility supports 20 major programs and runs three shifts per day to deliver the advanced technology our customers need. This latest expansion will help us ramp-up production for a critical airborne electronic attack system to address advanced and emerging threats while protecting U.S. and coalition forces.” – Kim Ernzen, President of Naval Power at Raytheon, an RTX business
"The Scott County Board of Supervisors would like to thank Raytheon for selecting Forest, Mississippi, for this expansion. We know that Raytheon is global and could have made this investment in many other locations, and we are thankful they selected Scott County. Raytheon is a great place to work, and we appreciate the careers they provide to the residents of Scott County and the area. In addition to the jobs they provide to the area, they are also a great community partner and have always been supportive of our schools and community. We would also like to thank Governor Reeves and his team at MDA for working with us to help bring this project to Scott County." – Steven Crotwell, President of Scott County Board of Supervisors