Largo radar plant expansion brings 100 new jobs

A $26.5 million expansion of RTX’s Collins Aerospace operation in Largo is moving forward as the company prepares to increase radar production and add more than 100 jobs.

Recent Pinellas County permitting records show interior construction underway at Collins Aerospace’s facility at 7887 Bryan Dairy Road, with the work identified as part of the “RTX RADAR PROJECT.”

The expansion is expected to be completed this year, an RTX spokesperson said. New hires began in March, with about 100 additional employees expected by 2027. The Largo facility currently employs nearly 800 people.

The investment will help Collins Aerospace ramp up production of two radar systems, the Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM, as part of a broader federal effort to replace aging air traffic control infrastructure.

The Condor Mk3 communicates directly with aircraft transponders to provide information such as identity, altitude and location. The ASR-XM uses reflected radio signals to detect aircraft independently. Together, the systems give air traffic controllers different ways to track what’s in the sky.

In January, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded Collins Aerospace a $438 million contract to provide the next-generation radar systems. The FAA has said RTX and another contractor, Indra, will help replace up to 612 radars by June 2028.

Many of the radars currently in use date to the 1980s and have become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain, according to the FAA.

“We can confirm that the expansion of Collins Aerospace’s Largo facility will be complete in 2026,” an RTX spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “The investment supports accelerated production of the Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM radars for the FAA’s Radar System Replacement program, along with multi-domain security solutions for defense customers.”

RTX announced the Largo investment in May. In addition to the radar systems, the company said the expanded facility will support security technology for defense customers.

The project is unfolding at Pinellas County’s Young-Rainey Science Technology and Research Center, or STAR Center, where Collins Aerospace is a major tenant.

“We are thrilled by RTX’s Collins Aerospace expansion, which brings skilled jobs and cutting-edge equipment to our community while cementing their role as a vital anchor tenant for Pinellas County’s Young-Rainey Science Technology and Research Center,” said Dr. Cynthia Johnson, director of Pinellas County Economic Development, in the statement.

Johnson said Pinellas County Economic Development did not provide direct financial incentives for the project.

The company’s decision to expand there also comes as the county looks toward the future of the larger STAR Center campus. Collins Aerospace’s continued investment gives officials a sizable existing tenant around which that redevelopment can take shape.

“While our organization did not provide any direct financial incentives for this project, the company’s decision to reinvest on our campus confirms Pinellas County as a premier destination for advanced manufacturing,” Johnson said.

She said the investment could also help set the stage for what comes next at the campus.

“This choice proves that our competitive facilities, talented workforce and collaborative business ecosystem naturally drive corporate growth and set a strong foundation for the future redevelopment of the campus around their footprint.”