# USAF Awards Raytheon $8B NC3 Contract

In October 2026, the U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a sole-source IDIQ contract with an $8 billion ceiling to modernize and restart production of strategic communications terminals supporting nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3), and to conduct related technical studies. The contract runs through October 12, 2036, with work in Massachusetts and Florida. The ceiling is not funded demand: the Air Force obligated $800,000 in FY2026 RDT&E funds at award, and additional work depends on future orders.

- The sole-source award establishes Raytheon as the prime contractor for this effort; other firms’ potential access is more likely through Raytheon’s supply chain and supporting technical work than through a competing prime bid.
- Suppliers and service providers with relevant terminal components, engineering, integration, or production-restart capabilities can assess their fit for Raytheon’s subcontracting needs.
- Procurement teams should distinguish the $8 billion contract ceiling from actual obligated funding when evaluating the scale and timing of potential business opportunities.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles, Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)

### Vendors
- Raytheon (awardee)
- RTX Corporation (parent company of the awardee)

### Sources
- [Raytheon Books $8B USAF Strategic Comms Terminal Contract](https://www.govconwire.com/articles/raytheon-8b-air-force-strategic-communications-terminal-contract) - GovCon Wire
- [The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon an $8 billion ceiling contract to modernize and restart production of strategic communications terminals for nuclear command and control.

https://t.co/mAkNhFSSQ3](https://x.com/DylanMalyasov/status/2110308889967071697) - twitter-defense
- [Raytheon Wins $8B U.S. Air Force Contract for Nuclear Communications Modernization::

https://t.co/gDnjh4bs4v

#Raytheon #RTX #USAirForce #DefenseNews #MilitaryTechnology #NuclearDeterrence #NC3 #SpaceDefense #SatelliteCommunications #USDefense #NationalSecurity #DefenseIndustry ](https://x.com/DefenseMirror/status/2110277071163498851) - twitter-defense