Raytheon Co., the world’s biggest missile maker, is girding for slower growth in the U.S. weapons budget by training soldiers with technology from the movie “Avatar” and helping to educate General Motors Co. mechanics.
Those programs are part of the Technical Services unit that led Raytheon’s first-half sales increases even as Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for ending a “gusher” of military purchases. The 11 percent gain was almost three times as much as at the division building Patriot missiles.
“In these difficult times, it’s nice to have a part of your business grow like that,” chief executive Bill Swanson said.
In March, Raytheon reached an agreement with Motion Reality Inc., developer of the 3-D technology for Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar,” to build mobile training simulators, said John Harris, president of the Technical Services unit.
The equipment will mimic the experience of being on a street in Afghanistan or Iraq and helping soldiers learn how to identify and avoid roadside bombs, Harris said. Bloomberg News
