Lockheed Martin has agreed to source solid rocket motors from Avio for two key US Army missile programs, adding another potential supplier as the US works to expand domestic motor production.
Under the strategic cooperation agreement, Avio will produce motors for the Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System and Precision Strike Missile after qualification.
Production will take place at Avio’s new facility in Hurt, Virginia, which is still under construction. Avio said it has committed more than $500 million to expand US solid rocket motor capacity.
The arrangement gives Lockheed access to part of Avio’s planned commercial supply capacity to “speed up production of essential capabilities.”
“A reliable and diverse supply chain for solid rocket motors is fundamental to our strategy for a stronger defense industrial base,” said Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
US Expands Solid Rocket Motor Production
The agreement adds to a broader push to address constraints in the US solid rocket motor supply chain, which supports tactical missiles, air defense interceptors, and other weapons.
In October, the US Navy awarded Ursa Major two contracts worth a combined $137 million to develop and qualify solid rocket motors for the Compact Air-to-Air Missile and Naval Modular Missile programs. The work is intended to add production capacity for tactical missile motors.
Other suppliers are developing additional capacity. In April, L3Harris announced a more than $1 billion expansion of its solid rocket motor operations in Orange County, Virginia.
The project is expected to more than double manufacturing space at the site and create over 350 jobs during the next five years. The company is also expanding production in Camden, Arkansas, and Huntsville, Alabama.
