Sam Deneke

BizTUCSONApril 20, 2026

2 minutes read

President Air & Space Defense Systems
Raytheon an RTX Business

What opportunities do you see for your business here in the next several years?

Raytheon has been part of the Tucson community for more than 70 years, and it remains one of our most important sites. Our teams here are doing critical engineering, manufacturing and mission support work that helps protect our customers and allies around the world. Demand for many of the capabilities we build here is growing, and we’re investing in our facilities, our people and our technology to keep up. Thanks to the incredible talent in Southern Arizona and the strong partnerships we’ve built across the region, Tucson will continue to be at the heart of Raytheon’s future. As a Tucson native, I’m especially proud that this work is happening right here in our own backyard.

What issues keep you up at night?

The world is getting more complex, and our customers are counting on us more than ever. As we work through heightened demand and operational ramp-ups, my team and I are focused on two things: continuing to deliver the capabilities our customers rely on, and scaling our operations in a smart, sustainable way. For us, that means strengthening our supply chain, growing our workforce, and constantly improving how we build and deliver—quickly and reliably. We’re making solid progress, but it takes ongoing effort and strong collaboration across our teams, our suppliers, and our partners.

Are there any exciting updates in your industry or business you want to highlight?

As global demand for precision munitions continues to grow, our business will continue to make investments in technology, facilities and our workforce to reach and sustain this historically high production rate. In February, we announced landmark deals with the Pentagon to significantly increase production capacity and speed deliveries of programs such as Tomahawk, AMRAAM, SM-3, and SM-6 – all of which are produced right here in Tucson.

How can The Chamber help you going forward?

If we’re going to meet the surge in demand, we need coordinated planning and the ability to scale. At the heart of that is talent. The Chamber plays a key role here. They bring together industry, education, and community partners to help build that workforce. For our business, it’s important that we attract top aerospace professionals to Tucson and help create an ecosystem where they—and their families—can thrive. At the same time, we should also focus on growing a strong local pipeline, as homegrown talent is more likely to stay, build their careers here, and invest their skills back into this community.