Raytheon, an RTX business, has completed a $50 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Forest, Mississippi. The project added 17,000 square feet for producing critical electronic-warfare and radar systems.
The expansion strengthens Forest's role in manufacturing airborne defense equipment for U.S. and allied customers. It may also create 100 high-skill jobs by 2028, but that figure is a company projection—not a count of positions already filled.
Table of Contents
- What the expansion adds
- What the facility will produce
- What the project means for employment
- How Mississippi supported the expansion
What the expansion adds
The completed project increases Raytheon's capacity to produce, test, and integrate electronic-warfare and radar equipment. Electronic warfare uses the electromagnetic spectrum to detect, disrupt, or counter an adversary's systems. According to Raytheon's Aug.
27 announcement, the company supported the 17,000-square-foot addition with a $50 million capital investment. The Forest site now contains 445,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Raytheon describes it as one of Mississippi's largest defense-manufacturing plants.
What the facility will produce
The new space will handle Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods for the U.S. Navy and the Australian government. These airborne systems are designed for electronic attack.
Raytheon says the expansion will also support other airborne radar programs. In practical terms, Forest becomes a larger domestic production center for equipment serving U.S. and allied defense customers. The announcement establishes added production capacity, but it does not report how many additional systems the plant will make or provide a production schedule.
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What the project means for employment
Raytheon expects the expansion to create 100 high-skill jobs by 2028. Readers should treat that number as a future target because the company did not say those jobs were already filled.
The available information also does not specify job titles, pay ranges, hiring dates, or application requirements. Prospective workers should distinguish between the projected total and currently advertised openings. The employment claim therefore describes the project's expected local effect, not a verified increase in Forest's present workforce.
How Mississippi supported the expansion
Raytheon broke ground on the project in September 2023. The Mississippi Development Authority said it partnered with Scott County and the company on building improvements and expansion needs.
The completed project is Raytheon's third expansion in Forest since 2013. The company reports that its 2013, 2020, and 2026 expansions represent a combined $280 million in capital investment. That total provides context for the new project: the $50 million addition continues a longer series of investments at the same Mississippi manufacturing site.
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