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Aerojet Rocketdyne Selected by Lockheed Martin to Power DARPA OpFires Missile

Written by Customer Service on . Posted in Public Companies.

LM OpFires front night

OpFires' variable-range second-stage motor enables payloads to defeat targets across the medium-range spectrum. Its launcher assembly loads onto fielded transportation vehicles with the push of a button.(Lockheed Martin Artist Concept)
OpFires’ variable-range second-stage motor enables payloads to defeat targets across the medium-range spectrum. Its launcher assembly loads onto fielded transportation vehicles with the push of a button.(Lockheed Martin Artist Concept)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aerojet Rocketdyne has been selected by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to build an advanced solid rocket motor booster for the second stage of a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hypersonic weapon system, known as Operational Fires, or OpFires.

“We continue to push the envelope in our hypersonic propulsion technologies, whether by developing a high performance solid rocket motor that can be turned off on command, like for OpFires, or by incorporating additive manufacturing into our air-breathing scramjet engines to improve affordability,” said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. “We look forward to leveraging our advanced hypersonic technologies for the Lockheed Martin team and supporting DARPA’s effort to provide increased flexibility and lethality for our warfighters.”

OpFires aims to develop and demonstrate a ground-launched missile system, enabling hypersonic boost glide weapons to penetrate modern enemy air defenses and rapidly and precisely engage critical time-sensitive targets from a highly mobile launch platform.

“As we continue actively working with DARPA’s OpFires program to demonstrate a long-term solution for the Army’s medium range capability, Aerojet Rocketdyne’s innovative variable-range rocket motor now enables OpFires to deliver payloads across the mid-range spectrum with a single, hypersonic missile,” said Jason Reynolds, vice president of Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is leading the integration effort for the third phase of the program, which is focusing on missile design and maturation, launcher development and vehicle integration. Aerojet Rocketdyne joins the Lockheed Martin-led OpFires team which includes Dynetics, Northrop Grumman and Electronic Concepts & Engineering, Inc.

Prior to being selected for Phase 3, Aerojet Rocketdyne built and successfully tested a full-scale advanced rocket motor for DARPA in support of Phase 2 of the OpFires program. During the test series, the company demonstrated the solid rocket motor’s ability to terminate thrust on command.

In addition to solid rocket motor boosters, Aerojet Rocketdyne provides a broad range of capabilities to support hypersonics, including scramjets and warheads. Having provided both the liquid and solid propulsion systems that powered the Air Force-DARPA-NASA X-51A to hypersonic flight success, Aerojet Rocketdyne is now developing lightweight and robust solid rocket motor cases and incorporating additive manufacturing into its high performance air-breathing systems.

About Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas, in support of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com. Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen.

Media Contacts:
Eileen Lainez, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-239-7839
eileen.lainez@rocket.com
Jessica Carlton, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 256-922-6185
jessica.carlton@rocket.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/090dc261-8d1b-46c3-b594-1f3081cc2c64

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