Raytheon and Anduril achieve breakthrough test in advanced rocket propulsion

Written by Copernical Team Thursday, 09 October 2025 07:48

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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 09, 2025

Raytheon, an RTX business, and Anduril Industries have completed a successful static fire test of an advanced solid rocket motor under contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate. The achievement marks a major step toward expanding U.S. rocket motor production and strengthening the defense industrial base. With global demand for munitions rising, the test u

Raytheon and Anduril achieve breakthrough test in advanced rocket propulsion
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 09, 2025

Raytheon, an RTX business, and Anduril Industries have completed a successful static fire test of an advanced solid rocket motor under contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate. The achievement marks a major step toward expanding U.S. rocket motor production and strengthening the defense industrial base.

With global demand for munitions rising, the test underscores efforts to bolster domestic propulsion capabilities and create a more resilient supply chain. "This test demonstrates more than just a technical achievement," said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon. "It's about building a more robust and adaptable supply base for solid rocket motors that can rapidly respond to emerging national security needs."

Through this collaboration, Raytheon and Anduril are advancing what they describe as a composable weapons strategy - a modular approach to missile development designed for adaptability and interoperability across platforms. "By partnering with Anduril, Raytheon is expanding the defense technology ecosystem and addressing critical limitations in the rocket motor supply base," Whelan said.

The tested propulsion system featured a Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) rocket motor, one of the most challenging designs in the field. "Designing and firing a Highly Loaded Grain rocket motor is one of the most technically demanding tasks in the solid rocket motor industry," said LTG (ret.) Neil Thurgood, senior vice president at Anduril Industries. "Achieving this result highlights the strength of Anduril's engineering team and demonstrates our ability to deliver high-performance propulsion solutions in a domain long defined by a small set of providers."

Raytheon continues to develop propulsion technologies across its missile and interceptor portfolio, contributing to systems deployed on land, sea, air, and space. The company said the partnership with Anduril reflects a broader effort to ensure the U.S. defense sector remains agile and capable of meeting future threats through advanced manufacturing and innovation.