The 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton houses 250 engineers working on tactical missile and hypersonic propulsion. It supports defense programs for the United States and allied customers.
The facility is part of a broader $100 million investment at Northrop Grumman’s 550-acre Propulsion Systems & Controls campus. Construction, modernization and infrastructure work at the site will increase solid rocket motor design and manufacturing capacity by 25%.
Northrop Grumman also expects staffing in Elkton to grow by more than 30%. The expansion adds engineering and production resources at a time of rising demand for tactical missiles and hypersonic weapons.
“The Propulsion Innovation Center is a critical investment in advanced propulsion that expands the capacity and resilience of the nation’s SRM industrial base,” said Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager of weapon systems at Northrop Grumman. “By bringing more engineers and manufacturing capability online in Elkton, this facility accelerates delivery of survivable, solid and air-breathing hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion solutions to the warfighter.”
Elkton combines propulsion design, development, manufacturing and testing at one location. The campus produces solid and liquid propulsion systems and controls for defense and space applications.
Across six major sites, Northrop Grumman can currently produce about 30 million pounds of solid rocket propellant each year. The company expects annual capacity to approach 50 million pounds by 2028.
Northrop Grumman has invested more than $2 billion in munitions-related technology and facilities during the past seven years. More than $1 billion of that spending has gone into advanced U.S. manufacturing facilities for rocket motors and missile components.
The company has tripled tactical solid rocket motor capacity at its West Virginia facility. It also plans to double production capacity at its large solid rocket motor sites in Utah over the next five years.
“Maryland is the best place to build and hire,” Governor Wes Moore said during the opening ceremony. “Our administration is investing in infrastructure and workforce development to attract major players, lead the nation in innovation, and build opportunities to continue to drive our state forward.”
Northrop Grumman employs nearly 100,000 people and operates more than 30 million square feet of manufacturing space. The company said further investment in facilities, research, employees and suppliers would help move advanced propulsion technologies into production more quickly.
