U.S. Navy Selects Northrop Grumman to Develop Advanced Second-Stage Solid Rocket Motor

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a $94.3 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop and qualify a new 21-inch diameter second-stage solid rocket motor (SSRM) designed to support the Navy’s extended-range missile programs. The advanced propulsion system will strengthen the Navy’s ability to deter and defeat fast-moving air, surface, and hypersonic threats, addressing evolving challenges across modern battlefields.

The newly developed SSRM is a low-risk, rapidly engineered solution that enables the Navy to quickly and cost-effectively field extended-range missile capabilities. Designed with speed and affordability in mind, the motor provides a critical boost to hypersonic defense efforts while maintaining flexibility across a wide range of operational needs.

Enhancing Speed, Range, and Mission Flexibility

The high-performance 21-inch rocket motor is engineered to significantly extend both range and velocity, enabling superior performance across multiple mission sets. These include air and surface warfare, land strike operations, and ballistic missile defense, giving the Navy a versatile propulsion solution that can adapt to diverse threat environments.

Recognizing its potential, the U.S. Navy has expressed interest in deploying Northrop Grumman’s extended-range propulsion technology across various platforms, highlighting the system’s broad applicability and future growth potential.

Rapid Development and Scalable Production

Continued design efforts and low-rate initial production of 60 SSRM units for testing and delivery will be carried out at Northrop Grumman’s Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland. The program underscores the company’s ability to move rapidly from concept to qualification while maintaining strict performance and safety standards.

Gordon LoPresti, Senior Director of Propulsion Systems and Control at Northrop Grumman, emphasized the significance of the award: “Being selected by the U.S. Navy is both an honor and a testament to our rapid development capabilities, production capacity, and leadership in advanced propulsion solutions. Demonstrating our SSRM in just 10 months highlights our unique, affordable, and versatile extended-range capabilities that will equip the Navy to excel in its defense and deterrence missions.”

Investing in Propulsion Leadership

As the nation’s leading propulsion provider, Northrop Grumman continues to invest heavily in facilities, workforce, and advanced manufacturing technologies to ensure the affordable, large-scale production of solid rocket motors. Since 2018, the company has invested more than $1 billion to expand capacity for weapons and missile components, including SRMs.

With over one million solid rocket motors delivered and decades of proven performance, Northrop Grumman remains a trusted partner in advanced propulsion systems critical to defense, payload delivery, and space exploration.

Expanding Capacity to Meet Future Demand

Propulsion work at Northrop Grumman spans six strategic sites across West Virginia, Utah, and Maryland, totaling 10 million square feet of manufacturing space. The company is tripling capacity for small tactical SRMs in West Virginia, doubling large SRM production in Utah, and increasing manufacturing capacity in Maryland by 25 percent to support future high-demand programs, including air-breathing hypersonic propulsion solutions.

As a global leader in aerospace and defense technology, Northrop Grumman delivers pioneering solutions that help customers connect and protect the world, while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Driven by a shared mission to solve the most complex challenges, the company’s employees continue to define what is possible—every day.