Defense Industry
Lockheed Martin and Avio sign deal on solid rocket motors for ER GMLRS and PrSM missiles
Lockheed Martin will draw on Avio USA's new Virginia facility for rocket motors for ER GMLRS and PrSM, under a cooperation agreement announced at AUSA.
Lockheed Martin and the Italian space and defence group Avio announced a strategic cooperation agreement on 13 October 2026 to expand the supply of solid rocket motors for two US Army missiles, the Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). The announcement came from Washington during the AUSA annual meeting.
Under the arrangement, Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control business will gain access to part of the merchant supply capacity of Avio USA, the group’s American subsidiary, based in Arlington, Virginia. Initial work is to begin once the motors have been qualified. Production is planned at a new Avio USA facility in Virginia.
Lockheed Martin says the aim is to widen the US industrial base for rocket motors and to make supply more resilient, and that the deal could allow it to speed up production of the two missiles. The company did not publish a contract value, delivery schedule or quantities.
What the companies said
Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said that “a reliable and diverse supply chain for solid rocket motors is fundamental to our strategy.” James Syring, chief executive of Avio USA, called the agreement “a major milestone” for the company and for the facility it is building in Virginia. Syring is a retired US Navy vice admiral and a former director of the Missile Defense Agency.
Avio chief executive Giulio Ranzo said the group has launched an investment of more than $500 million in new solid rocket motor production capacity in the United States. According to the company, Avio has more than 50 years of experience and about 1,500 employees in Italy, France, the United States and French Guiana.
Why motors matter
The agreement ties a supplier from Italy directly to two US Army precision-fire programmes. Lockheed Martin describes the goal as a more diverse supply chain for rocket motors.
Lockheed Martin showed several new products at the same exhibition. Earlier Geopolitiki coverage looked at HIMARS FLEX: Lockheed Martin says its modular launcher doubles HIMARS firepower and can fire PAC-3 interceptors.
