L3Harris Teams Up with Naval Air Warfare Center on Tomahawk Output Expansion

L3Harris Technologies has announced a partnership with the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) aimed at ramping up production of the Tomahawk cruise missile, a program that has drawn renewed attention as the U.S. Navy and its allies look to replenish inventories.

The collaboration centers on expanding manufacturing capacity for the long-running Tomahawk program, which is produced by RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) as prime contractor. L3Harris, a major supplier across the defence industrial base, brings its own production expertise to the effort as demand for the weapon has grown in recent years.

L3Harris Technologies (LHX) operates through three segments, including Missile Solutions, which covers a portfolio of propulsion, energetics and related missile components. Work of this kind — supplying subsystems and materials for established weapon programs — is a core part of the segment’s business model, and increased Tomahawk output would flow through that part of the company.

Partnerships between prime contractors, their suppliers and government entities such as the NAWC are an increasingly common structure for scaling munitions production. Rather than relying solely on internal capacity, programs can draw on a wider network of manufacturers, helping to shorten lead times and expand surge capability when orders rise.

Shares of L3Harris traded at $252.52 in recent action, down 1.26% from the prior close of $255.74, valuing the company at roughly $48.8 billion. The stock’s move came on a broadly quiet day for aerospace and defence names, and the announcement did not include financial terms.

For context, munitions programs across the U.S. defence portfolio have seen sustained order volumes, and suppliers with missile-component exposure have been positioning to add capacity accordingly. L3Harris has been an active participant in that trend, investing in its energetics and propulsion footprint in recent years. The company has not disclosed specific production targets or timelines associated with the NAWC arrangement.

The Tomahawk itself remains one of the Navy’s most widely fielded cruise missiles, with a production lineage stretching back decades and continued foreign military sales interest from allied navies. Expanded industrial participation in the program reflects the broader push to deepen and diversify the supplier base behind key munitions.

What to watch

• Further detail from L3Harris on the scope and financial impact of the NAWC partnership, including any capacity or revenue disclosures.
• U.S. Navy Tomahawk procurement quantities in upcoming budget requests and contract awards.
• L3Harris’s next quarterly earnings report, where management may address missile-segment capacity investments.
• Additional supplier agreements across the Tomahawk program as RTX and the Navy work to expand output.

Source: original release