Jon C. Jones, a Raytheon Co. vice president who spent much of his career at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, died over the weekend, apparently of a heart attack, the company said.
Jones, 55, was president of Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business unit, based in El Segundo, Calif.
Jones joined Hughes Aircraft Co., later acquired by Raytheon, in 1977 as an engineer in the Maverick missile equipment department.
He worked his way up to senior management, overseeing the engineering and development of some of the company's premier missile-product lines, including the AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile.
Jones was deputy general manager and vice president of the strike-weapons product line at Missile Systems before being named vice president and general manager of Space and Airborne Systems in May 2005. He was appointed president of the space and airborne division, which employs about 12,000 in production of an array of sensor and guidance systems, in November 2005.
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"Jon was a valued contributor to Raytheon for 33 years, an outstanding leader within our company, industry and community, and a dear friend," said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson.
"He was a wonderful innovator who guided numerous programs of the utmost importance to our men and women in uniform. Everyone who knew and worked with Jon will miss him."
Services will be held in California.