Defense contractor RTX will build a new $33 million facility in East Camden to manufacture missiles used in U.S. and Israeli air defense systems, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Thursday.
The facility will create 30 jobs in south Arkansas, where workers will build missiles for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system and its U.S. equivalent Sky Hunter. RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, is building the facility in partnership with Israeli defense contractor Rafael.
The facility will be another in south Arkansas where some of the country’s top defending defense contractors such as RTX, Lockheed Martin and Aeorjet Rocketdyne have facilities where they manufacture advanced weaponry for the U.S. military. Sanders said Thursday’s announcement is the first investment to bear fruit from her trip to the Paris Air Show in June, where she met with top officials from the defense industry.
“We don’t shy away from being America’s arsenal," the Republican governor said. "We’re not bashful about building the aircraft and weapons that are necessary to keep Americans safe.”
Jeff Shockey, senior vice president of global government relations at RTX, said the facility will open in 2025 and produce around 325 Sky Hunter missiles a year and expand to 1,000-2,000 a year.
Sanders and Shockey highlighted the relevance of Thursday’s announcement, pointing to Israel’s latest war against Hamas which has again shown the effectiveness of Israel’s air defense against rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.
“You don’t have to go further than today’s news or TV to see the system in action,” Shockey said. “The system, unfortunately has had to prove itself almost daily over the skies of Israel, but despite that it’s had a mind-blowing success rate in excess of 90%.”
Construction of the new weapons plant will be facilitated by state and local economic incentives including $250,000 from the governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund and sales and use tax refunds for the purchasing of building materials and equipment known as Tax Back, according to Clark Cogbill, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Commerce.
“This is such an important industry for us and [we’re] so happy to have this opportunity to work with Jeff [Shockey] and his team to compete for this project, as aerospace and defense is our number one export and an industry we pay close attention to,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
The facility will be another in south Arkansas where some of the country’s top defense contractors such as RTX, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne have facilities where they manufacture advanced weaponry for the U.S. military. Notably, the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System [ATACMS] is manufactured by Lockheed Martin at the defense contractor’s factory in Camden. While the system was first developed in the early 1980s, Lockheed Martin delivered its first ATACMS missile to the U.S. Army in August, 2017, according to a company news release.
Sanders said Thursday’s announcement is the first investment to bear fruit from her trip to the Paris Air Show in June, where she met with top officials from the defense industry.
Sanders also took questions regarding other topics during the news conference.
Among them was a question regarding a lawsuit filed by attorney and blogger Matt Campbell, who seeks access to email correspondence and the work calendar of Bryan Sanders, the governor’s husband, and additional documentation about the acquisition of a $19,000 lectern purchased by the governor’s office.
When reporter Andrew DeMillo of The Associated Press asked about the lawsuit, filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court, the governor declined to answer the question and instead used it as an opportunity to criticize the media.
“At this point, I think you guys are at a decision point — and I’m not trying to be rude — but I think you have decide whether you want to be actual journalists or whether you want to chase tabloid gossip,” Sanders said. “And right now, our focus is on actually building up industry and focusing on bringing jobs in and doing things that matter and help Arkansans, while the press continues to chase down rabbit holes and go down ridiculous stories from people who are frankly just left-wing activists.
“All of the business in this state, under my leadership, seems to be doing pretty well except for the media, so you guys may want to look at a different business plan.”