Officials during the ribbon cutting ceremony on the new facility. Credit: Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman has opened a new production and assembly centre in Rocket Center, West Virginia, to increase delivery of advanced strike missiles.

This new Missile Integration Facility (MIF) marks the latest expansion of the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL).

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The opening of this 113,000ft² facility adds to the more than 1 million square feet of new and renovated manufacturing space that Northrop Grumman has developed in the past seven years.

Northrop Grumman has invested over $1bn to enhance its capacity for weapons and missile components, including solid rocket motors.

The new MIF is expected to streamline production processes by consolidating assembly, testing, and shipping operations under one roof, employing digital manufacturing technologies.

This integration is set to accelerate the production of the US Navy’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER), enabling an output of 300 strike missiles annually.

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By enhancing its manufacturing capabilities, Northrop Grumman aims to support the replenishment of stockpiles for the US and its allies.

Northrop Grumman vice president and weapons system general manager Frank DeMauro said: “The cutting-edge Missile Integration Facility expands manufacturing capacity and our team’s ability to deliver for our customers at a critical time.

“The MIF is the latest shining example of how Northrop Grumman’s $1bn-dollar-plus investment in advanced manufacturing facilities since 2018 ensures we’ve got capacity needed to meet growing customer demand and support a resilient defence industrial base now and in the future.”

Northrop Grumman specialises in manufacturing hypersonic propulsion, armaments, missiles and advanced weapons systems.

Through its operations at ABL, the company produces tactical rocket motors, composite structure and advanced weapons since 1940s.

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