Raytheon, a business of RTX, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Avio to support the creation of a solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturing facility in the US.
The agreement grants Raytheon “preferred access” to a portion of the plant’s production capacity, which is intended to meet future demand for SRMs.
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The facility will operate as a vertically integrated merchant supplier, serving Raytheon as well as other customers.
This development builds on an ongoing relationship between Raytheon and Avio. In July 2024, the two companies signed a contract for preliminary engineering work on the Mk 104 rocket motor.
More recently, Raytheon issued a purchase order to fund activities through Critical Design Review and to procure long lead materials required for qualification.
These steps are part of a broader effort to secure supply and address increasing requirements for SRMs.
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By GlobalDataRaytheon operations, supply chain and quality vice president Bob Butz said: “This agreement will help establish an additional supplier of solid rocket motors within the US and demonstrates our commitment to meeting the increasing demands of our customers.
“By leveraging Avio’s experience and unique capabilities in solid rocket motor propulsion development and manufacturing, we’re strengthening our capacity for critical weapon systems.”
In a separate but related move, Avio has also entered into a non-binding term sheet with Lockheed Martin concerning support for establishing Avio USA’s SRM facility.
Under this arrangement, Lockheed Martin will receive preferred access to part of the plant’s production capacity.
This is intended to meet Lockheed Martin’s future product requirements while also enhancing supply chain resilience within the US industrial base for both tactical and strategic-sized SRMs.
The parties plan to negotiate a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in the near future to further align efforts towards securing reliable supply for propulsion systems.
Avio is investing in fully integrated capabilities and specialised expertise to address customer needs efficiently, drawing on its established background in SRM technology.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the US solid propulsion industrial base and position Avio USA as a contributor within the defence supply chain.
