Defense and Homeland Security

Overview

The Rhode Island defense industry, comprised of more than 100 companies, employs more than 16,000 people and generated $1.75 billion in revenue in 2008.  The Ocean State is home to highly skilled manufacturing companies such as Electric Boat and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and numerous software engineering firms located throughout the state and Aquidneck Island.

Only in Rhode Island can you find such a diverse portfolio of defense-related expertise concentrated in such a small geographic footprint.  Our defense sector supports multiple Department of Defense and Homeland Security needs with a highly connected network of companies, ranging from multinational corporations to start-ups that are moving out of the lab and into the marketplace.

Did You Know:

  • Rhode Island is home to the U.S. Naval War College and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), the nation's repository for undersea warfare knowledge.
  • Rhode Island is home to the Quonset Airforce Base, home of the 143rd Airlift Wing and the 126th Army Avaiation Helicopter Detachment. Quonset AFB is strategically located on the northeast coast and closer to Europe than any similar facility located south or west of Rhode Island.
  • Rhode Island is home to world-class oceanographic capabilities at the university, federal lab and private sector levels.
  • Rhode Island's defense industry employees represent 4.5% of the state's total workforce.
  • Rhode Island is bisected by Narragansett Bay, a natural deep water estuary with a federal shipping channel to the state's capital, Providence.

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) 2012 Annual Conference

In October, SNAME will hold its 2012 Annual Confrence in Providence at the RI convention Center. Click here to find out more about SNAME and stay tuned for conference details. 

Rhode Island Port Security Communications Network

Rhode Island Port Security Communications NetworkIn 2009, RIEDC, in partnership with Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management - Law Enforcement Division, the Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and PEMA, secured a $1.4 million DHS Port Security Grant to expand the port security network to the Ports of Newport, Davisville and Newport.   read more

Why Rhode Island?

RIEDC offers defense sector companies:

  • Connectivity and proximity to the Northeast’s robust network of defense-related industries
  • World-class in-state manufacturing expertise
  • 400 miles of shoreline and excellent highway, rail and airport service connectivity
  • Streamlined access to the state’s elected officials and regulatory agencies
  • Access to RIEDC’s portfolio of financial services and lending programs
  • Site selection and relocation assistance
  • Workforce training


Contact Information