Raytheon has signed an agreement to support space propulsion manufacturing firm Avio in establishing a state-of-the-art solid rocket motor (SRM) facility in the US.
The plant will operate as a vertically integrated supplier, producing SRMs for Raytheon and other customers, with Raytheon receiving preferred access to part of its production capacity.
The facility is intended to expand overall SRM output to meet the defense requirements of the US and its allies.
“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,” said Bob Butz, VP of Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality at Raytheon.
Advancing Rocket Motor Technology
The recent agreement builds on previous collaborations between Raytheon and Avio, headquartered in Rome, Italy, with a US subsidiary in Arlington, Virginia.
In September, Raytheon and Avio USA agreed on a purchase order valued at up to $26 million for engineering work on the Mk 104 dual-thrust rocket motor, supporting Raytheon’s Standard Missile program.
Avio’s US projects include a supplemental agreement with a branch of the US military to support the manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing of tactical missile solid rocket motors, building on fast-prototyping work from the past year.
In Europe, Avio is developing technologies for testing a reusable upper stage, a part of a rocket that carries payloads into orbit and can return to Earth for future use, under a 40-million-euro ($46 million) contract with the European Space Agency.
The program focuses on defining the requirements, system design, and key technologies needed to build a demonstrator that can safely return and be reused, covering both flight operations and ground segments.
