Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, will leverage ongoing upgrades to its solid rocket motor manufacturing facilities to fulfill a new contract from Lockheed Martin to continue providing propulsion systems for the U.S. Army’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) program.
Last year, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract modification to increase GMLRS production to meet increased domestic and international demand.
“Aerojet Rocketdyne’s proven propulsion has powered the GMLRS for decades,” said Tyler Evans, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Missile Solutions sector. “Our plan remains to continue automating processes and modernizing facilities in 2024 that will enhance efficiency as we continue delivering this essential piece of GMLRS.”
Aerojet Rocketdyne, which has delivered more than 35,000 steel- and composite-cased GMLRS motors to date, announced last year it had been purchasing new equipment, automating processes, and incorporating improved X-ray technology to increase production efficiency.
Last April, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization announced an agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne to help expand and modernize the company’s solid rocket motor production facilities in Camden, Arkansas, Huntsville, Alabama, and Orange County, Virginia. GMLRS was among the tactical missile systems included in the announcement.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is the only company that produces both steel- and composite-cased motors for GMLRS, which has a range of more than 70 kilometers.