Raytheon Company: activities of an arms supplier
Raytheon Company is a leading US supplier of military weapons and equipment. It also manufactures electronics for the aerospace and marine industries.
A group of talented engineers founded company in 1922. At the time, the company’s core business was cooling systems, but it soon moved into electronics. One of Raytheon’s most famous inventions was the vacuum tube, which could convert electricity from alternating to direct current. This made it suitable for powering home radios. It eliminated the need for batteries.
In 1925, the company underwent a reorganisation that resulted in its present name and the manufacture of rectifiers. Three years later, it merged with the Q.R.S. company. And in 1933, Acme-Delta, a manufacturer of power equipment and transformers, became part of Raytheon.
Raytheon significant inventions
During the Second World War, British scientists developed a magnetron, an electronic lamp that could store microwave radiation. This device amplified radar, helping to detect enemy aircraft. In the US, many companies worked to improve the magnetron so that it could be produced on a production scale. Raytheon succeeded in creating the correct version, and during the war, the company accounted for about 80% of all the devices produced in the country. At the same time, Raytheon began producing radar for ships to detect submarines.
Another of the company’s significant inventions was the microwave oven, which was introduced in 1947. The first examples were the size of a refrigerator, but the company worked to improve the technology. In 1965, Raytheon bought Amana, which made refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. By then, developers significantly reduced the microwave oven size. And this allowing it to be mass-produced under the Amana brand.
In parallel with the consumer sector, Raytheon expanded into the military industry. In the 1950s, the company signed contracts with the armed forces to produce missiles and anti-missile systems. The most famous of these are the Patriot and Phoenix missiles, which are now among the most advanced in their class on the world market.
Military aircraft
In 1993, the company began manufacturing business jets to complement the military aircraft already in production. In 2015, Raytheon with Vista Equity established a cybersecurity business to provide services to the private sector and government organisations. In addition to projects for the US government, about 30% of Raytheon’s revenue comes from supplying products to other countries.
