OREANDA-NEWS. Raytheon plans to build the T-100 Integrated Air Training System, a proposed jet trainer for the U.S. Air Force, in Meridian, Mississippi. Should the Air Force approve the company's proposal for the Advanced Pilot Training program, Raytheon would establish a final assembly and check-out facility at a site it has chosen in Meridian.

"Our process determined that the best location for building the T-100 is Meridian," said Rick Yuse, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. "It provides the right blend of infrastructure, proximity to our customers, government support and a talent base that’s ready for the high tech jobs critical to our success."

Raytheon has manufactured products in Mississippi for more than three decades. The company builds active electronically scanned array radars at its facility in the city of Forest.

"Mississippi's existing partnership with Raytheon is one reason we are a global leader in advanced manufacturing for the defense industry," said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. "With a firm understanding of the significance of the advanced pilot training mission, we are excited about the possibility of expanding that partnership and creating hundreds of new, high-paying jobs supporting our brave men and women who serve this country."

The T-100 Integrated Air Training System is a comprehensive, next-generation training solution customized to meet and exceed the U.S. Air Force's mission requirements. Based on the Aermacchi M-346, it combines cutting–edge, ground-based simulators with computerized classroom training to prepare the next generation of pilots. Raytheon has partnered with Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace to offer the T-100 to the U.S. Air Force.