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Northrop Grumman has officially opened its Hypersonics Capability Center (HCC) in Elkton, Maryland, to produce advanced propulsion solutions that can power hypersonic missiles beyond Mach 5.
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The HCC is Northrop Grumman’s latest manufacturing infrastructure expansion to strengthen weapons capacity for the US military and its allies. The HCC leverages state-of-the-art metal manufacturing processes and precision non-destructive test technologies to rapidly produce complex assemblies with unmatched quality.
Jim Kalberer, vice-president, missile products, Northrop Grumman, said, “This is a pivotal moment for hypersonics weapons; we have moved beyond building and demonstrating propulsion prototypes to large-scale manufacturing. Our proactive investment in this facility establishes the supply chain and optimises manufacturing processes to produce hypersonic systems affordably at scale.”
These new offerings will also drive opportunities across the region for additional technically skilled high-wage jobs, engineers, and other professional roles at the Elkton facility.
This new facility, billed as a “factory of the future”, establishes the critical infrastructure and capacity necessary to cost-effectively produce hypersonic propulsion at scale supporting the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) growing demands for long range, rapid response weapons.
Kevin Anderson, Maryland Commerce Secretary, said: “Having Northrop Grumman expand its footprint in Maryland is a testament to our state’s thriving aerospace and defence industry. With the addition of this new facility, Cecil County is gaining a first-of-its-kind manufacturing centre, as well as a significant number of new jobs. We are incredibly grateful to Northrop Grumman for its continued investment in Maryland.”
The HCC is the first US facility designed specifically for large-scale manufacturing of air-breathing propulsion which includes ramjet and scramjet propulsion, in addition to this, the HCC will support the US Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile development and production and has capacity to support future hypersonic systems work from across DoD.
The company is also investing in a new missile integration facility at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia for production of advanced defence and strike missiles, as well as expanding and optimising solid rocket motor production at its facility in Promontory, Utah.
