Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics announced on 13 August 2024 that they had signed a strategic teaming agreement relating to the production of solid rocket motors that is intended to bring security and resiliency to the domestic supply chain.
“Maintaining a robust and diverse supply chain for solid rocket motors is critical to advancing our 21st Century Security vision for a stronger, more resilient defence industrial base that keeps our customers around the globe ahead of emerging threats,” Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “This agreement enables Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to ramp production of in-demand solutions more quickly going forward.”
Firat Gezen, president of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), added, “We are proud to apply our expertise in missile subsystems to deliver new capabilities that will add resiliency to the domestic supply chain. The collaboration between GD-OTS and Lockheed Martin underscores our shared commitment to strengthening the defence-industrial base and providing critical capability to the warfighter.”
Initial work will focus on the production of solid rocket motors for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and will be performed at the General Dynamics facility in Camden, Arkansas, starting in 2025. This project will be followed by a phased planning approach to transition to other products.
GD-OTS will expand its operations in Camden, leveraging advanced manufacturing to deliver affordable and reliable solid rocket motors at production scale.
This latest development follows the recent creation of Lockheed Martin’s Solid Rocket Motor Product Center, which is designed to increase the surety of supply for cost-effective propulsion systems.
