Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) reached a new 10-year deal to boost production for solid rocket motors. The companies said the technology is a key aspect for national defense programs.
The companies said the deal sets the stage for a public-private partnership with the U.S. Navy and allows NSWC Indian Head to become a qualified motor manufacturing partner with Aerojet Rocketdyne.
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NSWC IHD said the agreement falls under the Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITE) designation, which allows for public-private partnerships. NSWC IHD said it received the CITE designation in May 2014 for depot maintenance and military arsenal activities.
“NSWC IHD is the Navy’s arsenal; and, as such, has a rich history of advancing state-of-the–art [technology] and providing comparative advantage to naval munitions and naval warfighting capability,” said NSWC IHD Technical Director Ashley Johnson in a statement. “This partnership will only bolster that capability through the production of solid rocket motors.”
Some of the earliest solid-fueled missiles were powered Aerojet Rocketdyne motors. In 2020, the company opened its Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) facility in Camden, Arkansas, where it currently produces 75,000 solid rocket motors a year.
