Anduril Breaks US Solid Rocket Motor Duopoly With Mississippi Facility, Targets 6,000 Motors Annually

Defense technology firm Anduril Industries has officially opened a full-scale solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in McHenry, Mississippi, challenging the duopoly dominated by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) and L3Harris Technologies Inc. (NYSE:LHX).

$75 Million Investment Powers Production Scale-Up

The company invested $75 million of its capital to establish the Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Complex, which has grown from 40 employees in January 2024 to over 100 today. The facility aims to produce 6,000 tactical motors annually by the end of 2026, according to Vice President Brielle Terry.

Anduril has test-fired more than 700 motors since January 2024, demonstrating rapid operational capability. The expansion is supported by a Defense Production Act investment from the Department of Defense to strengthen the U.S. solid rocket motor industrial base.

See Also: OpenAI Eyes Record $500 Billion Valuation In Employee Share Sale Amid AI Arms Race: Report

Modern Manufacturing Disrupts Legacy Processes

Traditional SRM manufacturing relies on 1950s-vintage processes that haven’t seen a new full-scale facility built in roughly 50 years. Anduril’s facility features a proprietary bladeless high-speed mixer—the only one of its kind globally—and employs “one-piece flow” manufacturing with parallel processing to reduce production time.

Military Contracts Validate Technology

The company achieved successful live fire tests for the U.S. Navy’s Standard Missile program in April, the same missile class that intercepted Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The Army selected Anduril in March to develop a 4.75-inch SRM for long-range artillery, enabling 30 guided rockets per HIMARS pod.

With a $30.5 billion valuation following a recent $2.5 billion funding round, Anduril positions itself to compete for trillion-dollar defense contracts as geopolitical tensions drive increased military spending.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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