Raytheon Co. announced the opening of a $72 million, 30,000 square foot facility on its Andover, Massachusetts campus, which is now home to some of the industry's leading innovations in manufacturing. The new facility features advanced automation technology to support complex radar testing and integration.

The new radar development center is the primary location for integration and testing of current and future radar programs for U.S. and international customers. AN/SPY-6, the U.S. Navy's next-generation integrated air and missile defense radar, now in low rate initial production (LRIP), is the first system to use the new space.

The new facility in Andover enables quality, reliability, repeatability and delivery speed through:

• Two near-field radar test ranges, one now the largest in the company.
• 1.5 MW substation to meet the power requirements of current and future radar programs.
• Autonomous material movement via automated guided vehicles.
• The aerospace and defense industry's first "dual robotic" system for radar array assembly.

"We built the new radar development facility with the future — and our customers — in mind. This advanced manufacturing campus now has the ability to work from atoms all the way up to massive radar arrays. From physical size, to power capabilities, to automated tech, we are building for the future of radar." — Sarah Jennette, program manager for the project.