President Pressures Defense Contractor to Boost Production Amid Growing Concerns About Domestic Industrial Base
President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal defense contracts awarded to Raytheon unless the company increases production and redirects capital toward manufacturing capacity. The comments come amid growing concerns about the health of the domestic defense industrial base, with Pentagon officials and lawmakers warning that US weapons production has failed to keep pace with rising global demand. RTX generated $43.5 billion in defense-related revenue in 2024, making it the world’s second-largest defense contractor behind Lockheed Martin.