Aerojet notes milestone delivery of missile system partially made in Arkansas

Aerojet Rocketdyne has delivered the 800th solid rocket boost motor and the 800th Divert and Attitude Control System for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system, one of the nation’s primary defenses against short, medium and intermediate-range missiles.

A land-based element of the Missile Defense Agency’s Missile Defense system, built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, THAAD shields deployed U.S. and allied forces and critical infrastructure from missile attacks. The system has a 100% success rate in intercept tests – 16 intercepts in 16 tests – since production began.

The THAAD solid rocket boost motor is manufactured at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Defense headquarters in Huntsville, Ala., and at the company’s Solid Rocket Motor Center of Excellence in Camden, Ark., which is part of a Lockheed military defense manufacturing plant. The DACS, a responsive thruster system that keeps THAAD’s kinetic kill vehicle on target during the latter stages of an intercept, is manufactured in the company’s Los Angeles facility.

“Aerojet Rocketdyne is committed to meeting the nation’s critical defense needs to protect what we value most,” said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. “The on-time delivery of the 800th THAAD boost motor and DACS guidance system is a testament to our team’s focus on the mission, commitment to high quality and dedication to customer needs.”

Located in the Highland Industrial Park in Camden, Lockheed occupies a combined manufacturing and support function floor space exceeding 1.9 million square feet spread out over more than 1,800 acres. Approximately 650 employees work in the facility’s manufacturing and support buildings.

The Camden facility also produces components for the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), the Tactical Missile System (TACMS) missile, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher, and the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE).