Lockheed Martin and the US arm of Italian rocket maker Avio have signed a strategic cooperation agreement under which Avio will build and qualify solid rocket motors for Lockheed’s Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), the companies announced Oct. 13.
The agreement gives Lockheed a second motor source for PrSM and an additional source for GMLRS once the motors are fully qualified, Avio USA CEO Jim Syring told Breaking Defense. “They’re essentially reserving capacity,” he said. “It’s a win for us and it’s a win for Lockheed.”
Tim Cahill, Lockheed’s president of missiles and fire control, said in a news release that the agreement “enables us to speed up production of essential capabilities, ensuring our customers maintain their competitive edge against emerging threats.”
Solid rocket motors have historically been a bottleneck for the munitions industry, with L3Harris and Northrop Grumman the only two domestic providers after decades of consolidation. New entrants such as Anduril, Ursa Major and X-Bow are developing motors, but qualification can take years.
Avio is a longtime solid rocket motor producer in Europe, but its US subsidiary is new. It broke ground in September on its first American plant, a 900,000-square-foot facility in Hurt, Virginia, scheduled to start building motors in 2029. Syring said Avio USA will make components like cases and nozzles in-house, avoiding reliance on a stressed supply chain, and will send new hires to Italy for three to four months of training.
Avio has begun ordering raw materials like steel and plans to purchase long-lead equipment such as industrial mixers, ovens and x-ray machines by the end of the year. The company is also doing engineering work on the Mk104 solid rocket motor for Raytheon’s Standard Missile family, with a critical design review slated for spring 2027.
Separately, L3Harris announced Oct. 12 a $250 million follow-on contract from Lockheed Martin for standard-range GMLRS rocket motors, the largest quantity ordered in the program’s history. The motors will be built at L3Harris’ new 60,000-square-foot plant in Camden, Arkansas, opening later this year. L3Harris did not disclose the number of motors, delivery schedule, or customers.
Sources: Defence Blog · Defense News