Anduril Industries Secures $19 Million Contract for Advanced SM-6 Rocket Motor Development

Anduril Industries, a defense contractor known for its cutting-edge use of robotics and artificial intelligence in military drones, has been awarded a $19 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop a 21-inch diameter solid rocket motor for the second stage of the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). This surface-to-air naval weapon is crucial for intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles, marking a significant step for Anduril in becoming a key supplier of solid rocket motors to the Pentagon.

The contract underscores the Navy's strategic interest in diversifying its suppliers. Currently, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies are the primary providers of solid rocket motors for the Department of Defense (DoD). L3Harris is the current supplier for the SM-6, manufactured by Raytheon.

The introduction of Anduril as a third supplier is seen as a move to bolster production capacity amid ongoing global conflicts that have strained existing resources.

Under the Navy contract, Anduril will "demonstrate a high-performance, 21-inch diameter second stage rocket motor for an SM-6 variant for potential use in fleet area air defense against advanced, fast-moving threats,"

Anduril's is already supplying sub-20-inch diameter rocket motors to several other DoD programs and customers.

Anduril's ambitions in the solid rocket motor market were bolstered last year by its acquisition of Adranos, a startup that developed a unique fuel known as Alitec. This fuel, a mixture of lithium and aluminum, powers solid rocket motors used in both tactical missiles and space launch vehicles.

Solid propellants, which are pre-mixed and molded into a specific shape, are essential for a range of weapons systems, from tactical munitions to nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. The ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East have highlighted the limitations in the current production capacity for these motors, prompting the Pentagon to seek additional domestic sources.

In response to the increased demand, Anduril is investing more than $75 million to expand its production capacity at the Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Complex in McHenry, Mississippi. This facility will see its annual production capacity increase from 600 to more than 6,000 tactical-scale solid rocket motors. The company plans to renovate 92,000 square feet of factory space, incorporating new robotics equipment and manufacturing systems to enhance efficiency.

“The investment will allow Anduril to significantly expand the Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Complex, a 450-acre propellant mixing and solid rocket motor production facility that has been sited for millions of pounds of explosives,” - Anduril

The Pentagon's strategy to broaden its supplier base is not without controversy. Christopher Kubasik, CEO of L3Harris Technologies, contends that the focus should be on strengthening the sub-tier vendor base that supports existing prime contractors rather than adding new primes. L3Harris, which acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne last summer, sees the primary issue as bottlenecks in the supply of lower-tier items like igniters, nozzles, and cases.

“Over the long-term, between five to seven years, double-digit growth on the top line does not seem unreasonable to me. We have to, of course, invest in the capacity....“We’ve made good progress in that regard, investing in our suppliers, getting additional suppliers. I continue to think the more money the government can give to the supply chain, the better off we are....And I continue to believe we don’t need an additional solid rocket motor prime. What we need is someone working on the igniters, the nozzles, and the cases. We’ve ordered equipment to continue to expand, whether it’s mixers, ovens. They unfortunately tend to have a 50 to 60 week lead time.” - Christopher Kubasik, CEO of L3Harris Technologies

As Anduril embarks on this new venture with the Navy, the defense sector will be closely watching how the addition of a new supplier impacts the broader landscape of solid rocket motor production and supply.