Stone County industry expanding solid rocket motors plant
Anduril Industries is expanding its solid rocket motor production facility in McHenry as part of the company’s efforts to address the country’s most urgent capability gaps quickly, including its limited supply of solid rocket motors and solid rocket motor production in the U.S.
Anduril is investing more than $75 million to increase the propellant mixing and solid rocket motor annual production capacity from 600 to more than 6,000 tactical-scale solid rocket motors, to support growing demand from customers and establish itself as America’s newest independent merchant supplier of rocket motors.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome this amazing investment from Anduril Industries,” said Gov. Tate Reeves. “Mississippi continues to set records and make history as great companies like Anduril discover that our state is an ideal location for their production needs. We have a remarkably strong and versatile workforce and an ideal business environment for growth. This is exactly why our presence continues to grow in the space and defense communities.”
The investment will allow Anduril to significantly expand the Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Complex, a 450-acre propellant mixing and solid rocket motor production facility that has been sited for millions of pounds of explosives. In addition, Anduril will use the capital to renovate 92,000 square feet of factory space, adding advanced robotics equipment and modular manufacturing systems that will allow Anduril to continue to build rocket motors faster and at lower cost than currently available from traditional suppliers.
Anduril has developed an innovative process for Solid Rocket Motor production that is significantly faster, requires less manual labor, is more reliable, and is more efficient than other production techniques. In addition to traditional, aluminized solid rocket motors, Anduril makes propulsion systems using a proprietary rocket fuel that releases more energy per unit, extending the range, payload capacity and speed of missile systems by up to 40 percent.
As part of the expansion, Anduril is actively hiring for more than 60 new highly skilled roles in Stone County, which it hopes to fill by the end of 2024. The company will be hiring software and hardware engineers, machinists, chemists, manufacturing technicians, production managers and supply chain specialists.
“We are proud to produce solid rocket motors at scale in Mississippi, said Anduril Industries Senior Vice President LTG (ret.) Neil Thurgood. “Our advanced manufacturing process for solid rocket motors is already faster and more efficient than existing techniques used across the industry. By expanding and modernizing the Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Complex, we will be able to dramatically increase production capacity for solid rocket motors, expanding supply to replenish U.S. and allied stockpiles of munitions to maintain credible deterrence.”
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program. MDA is also assisting with building and site improvements. Stone County and AccelerateMS are assisting with the project, as well.
