Northrop Grumman is advancing its solid rocket motor (SRM) production efforts with the construction of a new 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center at its Elkton, Maryland site. The facility, which will house approximately 250 engineers, is part of a $100 million investment aimed at strengthening the company's ability to meet growing demand for advanced propulsion systems supporting U.S. and allied defense programs.
The expansion is expected to increase onsite SRM design and manufacturing capacity by 25%, while also enabling a more than 30% increase in staffing at the Elkton location. The new center will operate alongside other recent modernization and infrastructure projects across the 550-acre Propulsion Systems & Controls campus.
According to Northrop Grumman, the company's current SRM production capacity stands at around 13,000 units annually, with plans to double that figure to over 25,000 by 2029. Total solid rocket propellant output across its six major sites is expected to grow from roughly 30 million pounds per year to nearly 50 million pounds by 2028.
Gordon LoPresti, senior director of propulsion systems and controls at Northrop Grumman, said the company is prepared to scale production to meet the pace of evolving defense needs. He noted that the integrated engineering and manufacturing setup at Elkton supports the delivery of both solid and air-breathing hypersonic propulsion solutions.
Construction efforts are being led by Whiting-Turner Construction Company, which is also supporting upgrades to existing infrastructure on the campus. Vice President Joshua George described the partnership as a long-term collaboration focused on modernizing Northrop Grumman’s propulsion manufacturing capabilities.
Over the past seven years, Northrop Grumman has committed more than $1 billion to expanding advanced manufacturing operations across the U.S., including significant investments in West Virginia and Utah aimed at boosting SRM and missile-component output.
The Elkton site, originally established in 1948, remains a key location for the company’s propulsion-related activities. It includes facilities for the design and production of solid and liquid propulsion systems used in various missile defense, hypersonic, and space programs.