LARGO, Fla. – Charlotte-based Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is expanding production of radar and secure communications at its Largo facility through a $26.5 million investment. The move will focus on commercial aviation and defense systems manufacturing.
RTX said the expansion will add more than 100 engineering and production positions while increasing manufacturing capacity for secure networking technologies.
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FAA radar modernization and aircraft surveillance systems
The Largo facility will support work tied to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Radar System Replacement Program. Collins Aerospace is producing both cooperative and non-cooperative radar systems designed for air traffic surveillance operations.
One surveillance system under development is the Condor Mk3, which communicates directly with transponders to identify and track equipped aircraft. The facility will also manufacture the ASR-XM. The system detects aircraft through reflected radio frequency signals rather than onboard transmissions.
Cooperative and non-cooperative radar architectures serve different operational roles within modern air traffic surveillance networks. Combining both approaches can improve tracking coverage in increasingly congested airspace environments.
Manufacturing expansion and defense communications production
Collins Aerospace said the Largo site also supports production of secure communications equipment and satellite networking hardware for military and commercial customers. Expanding the facility could help accelerate delivery timelines for avionics and surveillance systems operating across aviation and defense sectors.
RTX has operated in Florida for more than 40 years through multiple aerospace and defense business units. The company currently maintains several manufacturing and engineering sites throughout the state.
