Lockheed Martin, Avio Announce Solid Rocket Motor Agreement

Lockheed Martin and Avio announced a new agreement to produce solid rocket motors for key U.S. Army long-range munitions.

Under the agreement, Avio’s U.S. arm will produce solid rocket motors for Lockheed Martin’s Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The announcement comes on the second day of the Association of the United States Army’s annual convention in Washington.

Avio’s production will first be qualified, and the company says in an announcement it is “drawing on the longstanding solid propulsion expertise of its parent company,” Italy-based Avio S.p.A. The company provides solid rocket motors for weapons such as the Aster, Aspide and Common Anti-air Modular Missile Extended Range, among others. The company also recently announced a cooperative deal with RTX.

“A reliable and diverse supply chain for solid rocket motors is fundamental to our strategy for a stronger defense industrial base,” says Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control. “This strategic cooperation agreement with Avio enables us to speed up production of essential capabilities, ensuring our customers maintain their competitive edge against emerging threats.”

Lockheed Martin in the announcement points to the move as a step to improve solid rocket motor supply chain resiliency, increase capacity and accelerate manufacturing, although no specific timeline was provided.

“Avio has launched an investment of over $500 million in new production capacity for SRMs in the United States with a view to become a merchant supplier to the various defense customers,” Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo says. “In this context, Avio is excited to be able to support Lockheed Martin in their effort to increase production volumes and resiliency and will put all its expertise at work to accelerate towards this goal.”