Success Stories

A History of Success

Arizona’s aerospace and defense sector’s activity is broad and deep, currently contributing $8.8 billion in gross state product to the local economy, and is responsible for 93,800 jobs across the state. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, between 2000 and 2009, defense contracts awarded to Arizona companies increased from $4.1 billion to $12.1 billion. Those numbers are, in part, a reflection of Arizona’s long-standing history with some of the industry’s biggest corporations, whose continued success in uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, space vehicles, battlefield communications and guidance systems fuels further growth for those corporations and the hundreds of small- and mid-sized suppliers they support.

• Boeing, which employs approximately 4,800 Arizonans, helps support a variety of the company’s programs and partners with more than 570 suppliers and vendors across the state. The Boeing/Arizona partnership already delivers roughly $1.1 billion of economic activity in the state every year. Boeing was recently awarded $247 million in new aerospace and defense business in Arizona, including initial production of the U.S. Army’s AH-64D Apache Block III helicopter, the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter in the world.
• Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is the world leader in the design, development and production of weapon systems for the U.S. military and the allied forces of more than 50 countries. Southern Arizona’s largest employer, with 12,000 employees at its Tucson headquarters, RMS also accounts for more than one-third of Tucson’s 30,000 manufacturing jobs. RMS was recently awarded $96.7 million for a third production lot of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD).

• Iridium is the only commercial mobile satellite service (MSS) company offering coverage over the entire globe. Iridium is currently working on the development and construction phases of their new low-Earth orbiting satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT, which will be the largest commercial space program in the world with 66 satellites in orbit. It is scheduled to launch in 2015.

  In a partnership with the Boeing plant in Chandler, Ariz., Iridium NEXT is receiving engineering, systems analysis and maintenance support from 200 Arizona contractors. Additionally, Tempe, Ariz., is home to the company’s Gateway Earth Station, the primary ground station for Iridium.

• General Dynamics C4 Systems employs approximately 3,500 employees in Arizona and was recently awarded a $12.4 million contract modification to the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T).
• Honeywell Aerospace, headquartered in Arizona, has grown revenue from $8.8 billion to an estimated $11 billion in recent years. In 2010, Honeywell announced another extension to its contract with the U.S. Army to build engines for the M1 Abrams tank, bringing the total contract value up to $1.5 billion. Approximately 66 percent of the total work has been completed in Arizona.
• F-35 Fighter may soon call Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., its official preferred training base. U.S. Sen. John McCain says three squadrons with dozens of aircraft would be based at Luke if the Air Force finalizes its decision. Luke AFB is already home to the world's largest F-16 fighter base and is the jet’s main training site. Luke contributes thousands of jobs and more than $1 billion annually to the local economy.

Committed to Your Success

Whether it’s talking to leaders in one of the organizations listed previously or getting one-on-one time with our experts, help is just moments away. Tell us about your project.