Raytheon, an RTX business, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help Avio establish a state-of-the-art solid rocket motor (SRM) facility in the U.S. Raytheon will have preferred access to a share of the Avio plant production capacity to meet future demand.
The strategic partnership marks another milestone in the collaboration between the two companies, building on a contract signed in July 2024 for preliminary engineering work on the Mk 104 rocket motor and a recent purchase order to fund through Critical Design Review and procurement of long lead material for qualification.
Bob Butz, vice president of operations, supply chain and quality at Raytheon, said, "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. By leveraging Avio's experience and unique capabilities in solid rocket motor propulsion development and manufacturing, we're strengthening our capacity for critical weapon systems."
The new Avio facility is expected to be instrumental in meeting the growing demand for advanced SRMs.
