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RTX builds missiles, radars, jet engines, and other high-tech equipment for militaries and airlines.
RTX Corporation is a giant American industrial company that mostly sells to two very different kinds of customers: governments that need weapons and defense gear, and airlines that need engines and parts for their planes. It has three main segments. The biggest is Collins Aerospace, which makes everything from cockpit electronics to landing gear and seats. Then there's Pratt & Whitney, which builds the jet engines that power both military jets and commercial airliners. And finally Raytheon, which makes missiles, radars, and air defense systems — the kind of stuff you see in headlines about Patriot interceptors or Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Think of RTX as a company that makes the engines and electronics that go inside planes, plus the missiles that knock other things out of the sky. Roughly half its revenue comes from commercial aerospace — selling parts and repair services to airlines, which is a nice recurring business because planes always need maintenance. The other half comes from defense, where the U.S. government and its allies are the main customers. This split matters because when air travel booms, Collins and Pratt do well; when global tensions rise, Raytheon's order book fills up.
The company was formed in 2020 when United Technologies merged with Raytheon, creating one of the largest aerospace and defense firms in the world. It generates billions in free cash flow, which it uses for dividends, buying back its own stock, and paying down debt from that merger. Recent years have brought challenges — a widely reported issue with a powder metal defect in some Pratt & Whitney engines forced costly inspections and groundings, and the company has faced supply chain pressures. But demand remains strong: airlines are ordering new jets, and defense budgets across NATO countries keep rising. That combination of steady aftermarket parts sales and long-term government contracts is why RTX sits in a comfortable spot between two reliable rivers of money.
Saved answer · last researched 15 Oct 2026