ARLINGTON – Raytheon, an RTX business, and Avio USA have signed an agreement to establish a new, state-of-the-art solid rocket motor production facility in the United States, the companies announced Tuesday.
The memorandum of understanding aims to make Avio a vertically integrated merchant supplier, serving Raytheon and other customers. Under the agreement, Raytheon will have preferred access to a portion of the plant’s production capacity to meet future demand for missile systems.
The partnership builds on recent contracts between the two companies, including a July 2024 deal for preliminary engineering work on the Mk104 rocket motor.
“This agreement will help establish an additional supplier of solid rocket motors within the U.S. and demonstrates our commitment to meeting the increasing demands of our customers,” said Bob Butz, Vice President of Operations, Supply Chain and Quality at Raytheon.
The new facility is designed to address growing demand for advanced solid rocket motors, which are critical components for various defense systems.
“We are proud to be partnered with Raytheon for their future production capacity needs at our new factory facility,” said retired Vice Adm. Jim Syring, CEO of Avio USA. “We look forward to leveraging the incredible pedigree and experience of our parent company Avio S.p.A. as we build our factory and establish in the U.S.”
Avio, an Italian aerospace company with a major presence in Europe, brings decades of experience in propulsion systems for space launchers and defense programs. Its U.S. subsidiary, Avio USA, is based in Arlington, Virginia, and is structured to comply with U.S. security and export-control regulations.
Raytheon is a leading provider of missile defense and smart weapons systems for the U.S. and its allies.