Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $94.3 million contract by the US Navy to develop and qualify a second-stage solid rocket motor for extended-range missile applications.
As part of the agreement, the company will produce 60 SSRM units for qualification testing and low-rate initial production at its Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland.
Measuring 21 inches in diameter, the motor is designed to boost missile speed and range, supporting naval missions across air warfare, surface strike, land attack, and ballistic missile defense, including counter-hypersonic operations.
The extended-range propulsion system could ultimately be fielded across multiple Navy missile platforms.
The SSRM program complements Northrop Grumman’s extensive work in hypersonic and advanced propulsion technologies. The company is deeply engaged in US counter-hypersonic initiatives, including the Missile Defense Agency’s Glide Phase Interceptor and joint development efforts with Japan.
Northrop operates six propulsion-focused facilities in West Virginia, Utah, and Maryland, encompassing roughly 10 million square feet of production and development space.
To meet growing demand, the company is tripling small tactical solid rocket motor production in West Virginia, doubling large motor output in Utah, and expanding manufacturing capacity in Maryland by 25 percent to support future programs such as air-breathing hypersonic propulsion.
Ongoing progress in areas such as hypersonic navigation further reinforces Northrop Grumman’s position as a critical partner for the US Navy and Department of Defense in accelerating next-generation missile and propulsion capabilities.
