LARGO, FL — RTX is moving ahead with a $26.5 million expansion of its Collins Aerospace operation in Largo, where the company plans to increase radar production and add more than 100 jobs. Interior construction is already underway at the facility on Bryan Dairy Road, according to recent Pinellas County permitting records.
The project is tied to the company’s “RTX RADAR PROJECT” and is expected to be completed this year, an RTX spokesperson said. New hires began in March, and the facility is expected to add about 100 more employees by 2027.
FAA contract drives more radar output in Largo
The Largo site is being expanded to help produce two radar systems, the Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM. Both are part of a broader federal effort to replace aging air traffic control equipment across the country.
The Condor Mk3 communicates directly with aircraft transponders and can provide information such as identity, altitude and location. The ASR-XM works differently, using reflected radio signals to detect aircraft independently. Together, the systems give air traffic controllers two different ways to track aircraft overhead.
In January, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded Collins Aerospace a $438 million contract for next-generation radar systems. The FAA has said RTX and another contractor, Indra, will help replace up to 612 radars by June 2028.
Older radar equipment is becoming harder to maintain
The FAA says many of the radars now in use date to the 1980s. Officials have said those systems have become increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain, which has pushed the agency toward a large replacement program.
RTX said the Largo expansion supports accelerated production of the Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM radars for the FAA’s Radar System Replacement program. The company also said the upgraded facility will support multi-domain security solutions for defense customers.
The investment was announced in May, and RTX later confirmed the Largo expansion will be complete in 2026. The company said the work fits into its effort to meet federal demand for new radar equipment.
Nearly 800 workers already at the Largo facility
The Collins Aerospace facility in Largo currently employs nearly 800 people. The new expansion would build on that workforce as production grows and additional hires are brought in over the next two years.
Company officials said the project is designed to support both the radar program and other defense-related technology work. The growing headcount also shows the scale of the operation at the Bryan Dairy Road site, which has become an important manufacturing base for the company.
RTX said the expansion is part of a broader investment in its Largo operation, reflecting the company’s focus on advanced manufacturing and defense capabilities at the plant.
The project is centered at Pinellas County’s STAR Center campus
The expansion is taking place at Pinellas County’s Young-Rainey Science Technology and Research Center, commonly called the STAR Center, where Collins Aerospace is a major tenant. County officials say the company’s continued investment helps anchor the campus while longer-term redevelopment plans take shape.
Dr. Cynthia Johnson, director of Pinellas County Economic Development, said the project brings skilled jobs and advanced equipment to the community. She also said the county did not provide direct financial incentives for the expansion.
Johnson said the company’s choice to reinvest on the campus reinforces Pinellas County as a place for advanced manufacturing and helps create a foundation for future redevelopment around Collins Aerospace’s footprint.
County leaders see the expansion as a sign of confidence
County officials have framed the RTX decision as evidence that the STAR Center remains attractive to manufacturers looking for space, a workforce and room to grow. They said the expansion gives the county a major existing tenant around which future planning can be organized.
In Johnson’s view, the project shows how the county’s facilities, workforce and business network can support corporate growth. That, she said, may also help shape what comes next for the larger campus as redevelopment plans move forward.
For now, the clearest result is more activity inside the Largo plant, more hiring and a larger role for Collins Aerospace in the federal radar replacement effort.