Governor Kay Ivey and Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair joined Raytheon officials, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, Mayor Tommy Battle and other local leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony at the facility on Tuesday.

In her remarks, Governor Ivey reminded those attending that she participated in the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony back in 2012 when she was serving as the state’s lieutenant governor.

“And now, to witness its growth and evolution, fills me with immense pride for our state,” she said.

Governor Ivey added that Raytheon picked the right spot for its missile integration facility.

 “Alabama has always been a beacon for innovation across all industries, especially in the realm of defense,” she said. “With our rich history in aerospace and flight, it comes as no surprise that Raytheon has once again chosen Alabama — and specifically, Huntsville — for this expansion.

“Some people call it the ‘Rocket City,’ I’ll raise that and say: the brightest minds in aerospace and defense call it home,” she added.

Raytheon said expansion construction is scheduled to conclude in 2025.

‘NATIONAL ASSETS’

Raytheon’s Redstone facility is the final integration point for many missile programs for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy, and other defense customers.

The Huntsville facility currently handles integration of nine variants of the Standard Missile family, including Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6, and will accommodate additional defense programs, including the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI).

GPI will be the first-ever interceptor to defeat the emerging threat of hypersonic glide vehicles in their vulnerable glide phase of flight.

With the expansion of the Missile Integration Facility at Redstone, Raytheon said it is demonstrating its ability and commitment to continued GPI development.

The Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility first opened in 2012. Read about the futuristic facility.

“Raytheon’s missile integration center, its Huntsville employees and the innovative products that are assembled at the facility are important national assets,” Commerce Secretary McNair said. “The security of our country could one day depend on these technologies, and I’m proud that they come to life in Alabama.”

Huntsville is an important hub for Raytheon and its RTX sister companies.

In fact, the Huntsville area is the only location in the world where all four RTX businesses — Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney — and the company’s corporate functions all have a physical footprint.