Raytheon Lays Off Workers

By Mark Schieldrop 

Waltham-based Raytheon has laid off workers at several of its facilities.

The Boston Business Journal first reported that the defense contractor laid off an undisclosed number of workers in the wake of the company's failure to secure a $915 million contract to build a new space radar for the U.S. Air Force.

A Raytheon spokesman confirmed the layoffs and said it was due to both the contract loss and "shifts in engineering and production work, delay in contract awards and the current budgetary environment."

The layoffs were characterized as a "small reduction."

Anonymous posts to a layoff bulletin board from a purported engineer claim there were 150 union workers, including IBEW, let go on July 7 and another 150 non-union workers, including management, let go on July 14.

Lockheed Martin secured the contract for the so-called "Space Fence" that will be used to track 200,000 pieces of old satellites and space debris.

Raytheon is expected to release its second quarter earnings on July 24. The filing could reveal more specifics about the layoffs.

The company had sales of $24 billion in 2013 and reports 63,000 employees around the globe.

Raytheon’s Waltham headquarters are at 870 Winter St., off the Cambridge Reservoir.