The Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missile (FBM), developed by Lockheed Martin, was first deployed in 1990. Source: US Strategic Command.

Northrop Grumman celebrates a milestone with the completion of the 2,000th solid rocket motor for the US Navy’s Trident II D5 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) system.

Since assuming the scope of work in 1996, Northrop Grumman has manufactured over 800 first-stage and second-stage tactical motors, and more than 370 third-stage tactical motors. Additionally, the company has successfully cast over 86 million pounds of propellant for D5 motors.

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The Trident II D5 SLBM, a three-stage, solid-fuel, inertially guided missile, has a range of 4,000 nautical miles. The system, provided to the US Navy by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, has a record of 190 successful flight tests without any motor failures.

Serving as the seaborne leg of the US Nuclear Triad, the Trident II D5 missile is set to play a role in the nation’s deterrence strategy for decades.

Wendy Williams, Vice President of Propulsion Systems at Northrop Grumman, expressed her confidence in the company’s solid rocket motors, stating, “The unmatched reliability, record-breaking mission success, and planned life expectancy of the Navy’s SLBM system speaks to the design of the propulsion and our ability to produce critical motors consistently.”

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For nearly 70 years, Northrop Grumman has partnered with Lockheed Martin and the Navy to provide solid rocket motors for the SLBM system.

To commemorate this milestone, Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, Director for Strategic Systems Programs in the US Navy, visited Northrop Grumman’s Bacchus, Utah, campus, where the Trident II D5 motors are cast and assembled. Highlighting the critical nature of propulsion systems, Vice Admiral Wolfe remarked.

“The unmatched reliability and performance of our sea-based nuclear deterrent are made possible by a dedicated team of military, civilian, and industry partners who bring expertise and dedication to a truly extraordinary mission. The propulsion systems and their performance are critical to the success of that mission.”

With over six decades of supporting the Navy’s deterrence mission, Northrop Grumman and its legacy companies have continuously supplied propulsion systems for the nation’s Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine-launched systems.