Michael Cox
Huntsville Site Executive
Missile Defense Customer Account Executive
Raytheon, An RTX Business
Q: Where are you from and what brought you to Huntsville?
I was a U.S. Air Force “brat” with my father serving for 20 years. I followed in his footsteps and served 27 years in the Air Force, living all over the world. I was born in Tampa, FL, and although I didn’t live there afterward, my parents retired there so I call it my hometown. After retiring from the military and working on missile defense programs, many companies and programs were in Huntsville, and I moved to the city to continue to support our nation’s missile defense.
Q: What should we know about Raytheon and the work you do?
Raytheon is one of the businesses that make up RTX, the world’s largest aero- space and defense company. The other two businesses are Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney. Raytheon is a leading provider of defense solutions to help the U.S. government, its allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. We make some of the most combat-proven and trusted defense systems in the world, including the Patriot missile defense system, and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, and the Standard Missile family of interceptors.
Q: What are some of the investments your company has made in Huntsville recently that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the investments our company makes in the community. Last year, RTX provided $300,000 in grants to community partners and allocated $200,000 to the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE). This comes on the heels of a $4 million investment to ASCTE between 2019 and 2023. We also invested $150 million to expand and upgrade our Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Factory (RRMIF) to increase its production capacity and footprint by about 50 percent. This will create an additional 185 new jobs in Huntsville. This facility is the final integration point for many missile programs for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy, and other DoD and allied customers, handling nine variants of the Standard Missile family, including Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6, and will accommodate additional defense programs.
Q: You’re a U.S. Air Force Veteran! What does it mean to you to continue to support the warfighter through your current role?
I am proud of my Air Force service and working in Air Force and Joint jobs, providing capability to the warfighter and support to allies around the world. Being able to continue to provide support to the warfighter and protect our troops, allies and in fact, our families, keep me coming to work for Raytheon!
Q: What does your company get from its membership in the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber, and your support as an investor?
RTX continues to support and be an active member of the Huntsville-Madison County community. HREGI and the Chamber give us the opportunity to network and build relationships with businesses in and outside of our normal aerospace and defense orbit. HREGI shows our commitment to helping to grow our commu- nity and serve its people.
This article appears in the June 2025 issue of Initiatives magazine, a publication of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.
