Northrop Grumman has inaugurated a manufacturing facility in Elkton, Maryland, expanding its solid rocket motor and hypersonic propulsion capacity to meet rising missile demand.
The 57,000-square-foot (5,295-square-meter) Propulsion Innovation Center will be operated by approximately 250 engineers to build advanced systems for US and allied defense programs.
The site is part of a broader $100-million investment at the company’s existing 550-acre (223-hectare) Elkton campus, which will increase local rocket motor design and production capacity by 25 percent while enlarging the workforce by over 30 percent.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, noting that the state has provided $14.1 million in economic incentives to support the site’s expansion since 2018.
“Maryland is the best place to build and hire,” Moore stated. “That’s why we’re proud to have important partners, like Northrop Grumman, who are choosing Maryland — because of everything our state has to offer.”
“Our administration is investing in infrastructure and workforce development to attract major players, lead the nation in innovation, and build opportunities to continue to drive our state forward,” he added.
‘Critical Investment’
The Propulsion Innovation Center compounds a nationwide effort to boost Northrop’s annual rocket motor output from 13,000 units in 2024 to more than 25,000 by 2029.
In yearly solid propellant capacity, the defense contractor expects its annual yield to grow from 30 million pounds to nearly 50 million pounds by 2028.
To date, Northrop Grumman has invested over $2 billion in munitions technology and facilities over the past seven years, including tripling tactical rocket motor capacity in West Virginia and doubling production infrastructure in Utah.
“The Propulsion Innovation Center is a critical investment in advanced propulsion that expands the capacity and resilience of the nation’s SRM industrial base,” said Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager of weapon systems at Northrop Grumman.
“This facility accelerates delivery of survivable, solid and air-breathing hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion solutions to the warfighter.”
