What is raytheon
Executive summary
Raytheon — now part of RTX Corporation after corporate consolidation — is a major U.S. aerospace and defense firm that designs, builds and services weapons, sensors, engines and aerospace systems for commercial, military and government customers worldwide [1] [2]. As of late 2025 RTX reports roughly $86 billion in trailing‑12‑month revenue and a market capitalization reported near $234.5 billion, and its Raytheon‑branded defense businesses reported multibillion‑dollar quarterly sales and profits in 2025 [3] [4] [5].
1. What Raytheon is, in plain terms
Raytheon refers to the historic defense electronics and missile business that now sits inside RTX Corporation, an aerospace and defense conglomerate. The company supplies advanced systems — from radar and missile systems to intelligence, cyber and sensors — for commercial aviation, military platforms and government programs [1] [2]. Public profiles and financial pages treat “Raytheon” as the defense arm within the larger RTX enterprise [1].
2. How the business is organized and what it sells
RTX operates through multiple major segments; the Raytheon legacy capabilities are represented by Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense, which focus on sensors, cyber and software, missile systems and end‑to‑end threat detection and engagement solutions. Other RTX segments include Pratt & Whitney (aircraft engines) and Collins Aerospace (aircraft systems and interiors) [1] [5].
3. Size and recent financial footprint
Market data and reporting show RTX is a very large public company. Trailing‑12‑month revenue is reported around $85.98 billion as of November 2025 and market capitalization figures in public compilations put RTX near $234.51 billion [3] [4]. Quarterly reporting cited in financial coverage shows the Raytheon portion producing roughly $7.05 billion in sales and $859 million in profit for a recent quarter, with management raising full‑year guidance on those results [5].
4. Why Raytheon/RTX matters geopolitically and commercially
Raytheon’s businesses deliver core defense capabilities — missile defense, radar, command‑and‑control and intelligence systems — that are central to national security planning and multinational defense procurement. Analysts link the company’s strength to rising defense budgets across the U.S., Europe and Asia and to large multiyear contract backlogs that create revenue predictability [5].
5. Corporate history and identity: Raytheon vs. RTX
Public reporting describes the current entity as Raytheon Technologies or RTX; that reflects mergers and corporate restructuring that integrated the former Raytheon with other aerospace businesses. Contemporary profiles present RTX as the public corporate name and describe Raytheon as the defense‑electronics and missiles business within the broader aerospace group [1] [2].
6. Market performance and investor context
Investors and market trackers cite rising revenues and earnings per share for RTX in recent reporting periods. Financial press noted strong sales growth at Pratt & Whitney and a robust quarter for Raytheon‑branded businesses; these results fed a record backlog (reported as $251 billion) and substantial new awards in the quarter, which analysts say support future cash flow [5].
7. Sources, limits and competing perspectives
This summary relies on corporate and market reporting in the provided sources (Forbes, CompaniesMarketCap, Yahoo Finance summarizing earnings and backlog). The sources emphasize RTX’s size, segment structure and recent financials [1] [3] [5]. Available sources do not mention independent criticisms, defense policy debates, or detailed product‑level controversies; they focus on corporate profile and financial performance (not found in current reporting).
8. What to watch next
Monitor quarterly earnings, backlog updates and government defense budgets: those drive Raytheon‑area revenues and margins. Also watch any further corporate reorganizations or branding moves from RTX that change how the “Raytheon” name is used publicly [5] [1].
Sources: Forbes company profile and segment description [1]; CompaniesMarketCap revenue and market‑cap summaries [3] [4]; Yahoo Finance reporting on segment sales, profit and backlog [5]; GlobalData/Crunchbase corporate overviews [2] [6].