Overview
- A cooperation agreement announced Tuesday names Avio USA as a prospective additional supplier to build and qualify solid rocket motors for Lockheed’s Extended Range GMLRS and the Precision Strike Missile pending formal qualification.
- Avio has already begun industrial steps for a large U.S. build‑out, breaking ground on a 900,000‑square‑foot plant in Hurt, Virginia, that the company plans to begin using for motor production in 2029.
- In the near term Avio is ordering raw materials and plans to buy long‑lead equipment by year‑end while training U.S. workers by sending staff to Avio factories in Italy for three to four months.
- Engineering and certification work will take years: Avio aims to complete a critical design review for the Mk104 motor in spring 2027 and to carry out multi‑year qualification processes before it becomes a full production supplier.
- The agreement seeks to reduce reliance on a small set of legacy U.S. motor makers, create skilled manufacturing jobs in Virginia, and accelerate munition availability for U.S. and allied customers as demand rises.