RTX Lands $1.4B No-Bid Missile Deals Months After Hiring Pentagon Procurement Chief

In October and November 2025, the Department of Defense awarded RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, four 'sole source' contracts totaling $1.42 billion. The awards, designated for AMRAAM missiles and Tomahawk Block V upgrades, were issued under 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). This legal carve-out allows the Pentagon to bypass the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) by claiming only one responsible source exists to satisfy agency requirements. While mainstream outlets framed the deals as essential to 'replenishing stockpiles,' the paper trail suggests a more calculated exchange of influence and capital.

Exactly 90 days before the first contract was signed, James 'Jim' Thorne joined RTX as Senior VP of Government Relations. Thorne’s previous role was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Procurement—the very office that authorizes no-bid justifications. Under Thorne’s new leadership, RTX reported $24.8 million in lobbying expenditures for the 2025 fiscal year, according to Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) Q4 filings. This $24.8 million investment yielded a 5,545% return in the form of guaranteed, non-competitive federal revenue.

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment signed off on these deals despite previous internal warnings. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports had previously flagged RTX for 'defective pricing' on similar missile components. By granting sole-source status, the Pentagon effectively waived the audit requirements that typically accompany competitive bids, allowing RTX to set prices without the pressure of a private-sector rival. SEC filings indicate that RTX executive bonuses are explicitly tied to 'backlog growth,' a metric these no-bid contracts directly satisfy.

This monopoly is not an accident of the market; it is a policy choice. Decade-long merger and acquisition activity, approved by the Department of Justice, has eliminated secondary suppliers for critical missile components. The result is a manufactured dependency where the Pentagon has no choice but to pay whatever RTX demands. When the government is barred from shopping for the best price, the 'national security' budget becomes a wealth transfer mechanism from the public to private shareholders.

For the average American household, this means tax dollars are being committed to a rigged market. Every dollar added to the national debt for marked-up, non-competitive defense contracts is a dollar unavailable for domestic infrastructure, education, or healthcare. When the revolving door between the Pentagon and the private sector remains open, the public pays the entrance fee.