Raytheon was awarded a $2.01 billion Air Force contract modification on March 13, 2026 for Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) terminal work — bringing cumulative contract value to roughly $2.97 billion. Per Military Aerospace, SpaceNews, and The Defense Post.
What AEHF does — and why these terminals are nuclear-coded
AEHF is a joint-service satellite communications system delivering secure, jam-resistant communications for high-priority military assets. The Strategic Communications Division of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center administers this contract — these terminals are part of nuclear command-and-control. The terminals connect ground and mobile users to the AEHF satellite constellation in contested environments.
Performance
Locations: Marlborough, Massachusetts (terminal production hub) and Largo, Florida (software). Through August 9, 2031.
Why a $2B mod now
Original 2021 award was $960M for hardware/software procurement services. Today's $2B mod nearly triples cumulative value — pointing to higher terminal volume and broader fleet rollouts than anticipated, plus likely cybersecurity and resilience upgrades since the 2021 baseline.
Subcontract footprint
- Marlborough = RTX terminal-production hub; mechanical/RF subs feed there
- Largo = software development center; secure-coding and cryptographic-modernization shops have an opening
- Nuclear-coded terminals carry stringent assurance/test requirements — qualified subs only
