L3Harris opens solid rocket motor facility in Camden, Arkansas

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has opened a new solid rocket motor production facility in Camden, Arkansas, designed to double the company's current production capacity at the site.

The facility, named the Arsenal of Freedom, was opened alongside federal, state and local officials. It will support production of solid rocket motors for the U.S. Army's Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), centralizing manufacturing of the surface-to-surface precision fires capability.

The project is part of a $216 million cooperative agreement L3Harris signed with the Department of the Army in 2023 under the Defense Production Act Title III program. The agreement covers new facilities at Camden, Arkansas, and Orange County, Virginia, as well as equipment and digital upgrades at its Huntsville, Alabama, locations. The broader agreement also supports production of Javelin and Stinger missiles.

L3Harris said it is executing multiple additional expansion projects at its Camden site, including the Arkansas Advanced Propulsion Facilities and two new facilities to support PAC-3 propulsion production. The company said it is investing across Arkansas, California, Virginia and Alabama, building approximately 60 new facilities and incorporating new equipment and processes.

"Rocket propulsion is a vital national security capability," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of the Army for Acquisition and Sustainment. "This facility enhances L3Harris' capabilities and represents a critical leap forward in solid rocket motor production capacity."

Ken Bedingfield, President of Missile Solutions at L3Harris, said the facility reflects "the power of government-industry collaboration" and an "expansion model we're implementing nationwide, bringing together advanced automation, digital manufacturing and highly trained artisans."

The company said the investments are expected to help double, triple and quadruple propulsion production rates across a range of programs, though those projections are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties.

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