Raytheon Moving Its Global Headquarters To Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Raytheon Technologies Corp. said Tuesday it plans to move its global headquarters from Massachusetts to Arlington.

Raytheon's intelligence and space business is already based in the Rosslyn area of Arlington, where the new corporate headquarters will be located.

Raytheon Technologies was formed in 2020 by the merger of Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses. The move to the D.C. area was initiated by CEO Greg Hayes in an attempt to reorganize the firm after the merger.

"The location increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace partners and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry," Raytheon said.

Founded in 1922, Raytheon is the second-largest defense contractor in the United States. According to its website, the company has 600 facilities across most of the country, including Virginia.

"Raytheon Technologies has not accepted or sought any financial incentives from any state or municipality to support the establishment of the global headquarters office in Virginia," the company said in a news release Tuesday.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin released a statement Tuesday welcoming Raytheon to Arlington.

"With four of the top five major U.S. aerospace and defense leaders now based in Virginia, this decision to headquarter in Arlington demonstrates that the Commonwealth is the best destination for the aerospace and defense community," Youngkin said.

Raytheon spokesman Chris Johnson told the Boston Globe that the move will take place in the third quarter of the year, and the company will keep its corporate office in Waltham, Massachusetts. There will not be a net increase in employment in Arlington as a result.

Raytheon currently has about 3,500 employees in the D.C. region.

Last month, Boeing said it was moving its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, citing a move to push leadership at the company close to key government officials and lawmakers in the capital. The Defense Department remains Boeing's major customer on the defense side.

With Raytheon and Boeing announcing plans to move to Arlington, the nation’s five biggest defense contractors will be headquartered in the D.C. area, closer to the people who make the decisions that play a major role in determining whether they will flourish or struggle financially.

Lockheed Martin, the world’s biggest defense contractor, is based in Bethesda, Maryland, while Northrop Grumman is based in Falls Church and General Dynamics is headquartered in Reston.

Patch editor Haley Cornell contributed to this article.

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