L3Harris is set to launch a brand-new manufacturing facility in September dedicated to producing solid rocket motors for GMLRS rockets used by the HIMARS and M270 MLRS systems.
The new plant features an exceptionally high degree of automation, allowing the company to more than double production capacity while reducing manufacturing time by 50%. The announcement was made by L3Harris CEO Chris Kubasik during the company's second-quarter 2026 earnings call.
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"This factory is highly automated. Robots move the rocket motors from station to station, while the mixing, casting, curing, and X-ray inspection processes are all automated and integrated with artificial intelligence," Kubasik explained.
Defense Express notes that solid rocket motor production has long been one of the primary bottlenecks in U.S. missile manufacturing. The issue extends beyond GMLRS, as L3Harris is also expanding its production capabilities for Patriot interceptor rocket motors.
Another noteworthy aspect is the speed of construction. L3Harris broke ground on the new facility only in February 2025, meaning the plant will become operational roughly a year and a half later.
The company also confirmed that a similar automated factory for PAC-3 Patriot interceptor rocket motors is scheduled to open by the end of 2027. According to L3Harris, the facility will provide production capacity "at a scale unmatched by anyone else" and forms part of the company's broader plan to triple PAC-3 missile production over the next seven years.
More broadly, one of the few viable ways to meet today's unprecedented demand for advanced precision weapons is to manufacture them in next-generation automated facilities. However, such factories require consistently high production volumes to justify the investment, which is why projects of this scale have become feasible only after governments committed to long-term procurement programs.
It is also worth noting that although L3Harris is best known for its communications and electronic systems, it became a major producer of solid rocket motors after acquiring Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.7 billion in 2023.
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