Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, recently completed its 1,000th delivery of both the solid rocket boost motor and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (LDACS) for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The THAAD weapon system is a land-based component of MDA’s Missile Defense System. The ahead-of-schedule delivery to Lockheed Martin demonstrates Aerojet Rocketdyne’s long-standing ability to provide trusted propulsion and precision systems for one of the nation’s primary defensive weapons against short, medium and intermediate-range missiles.
“The Aerojet Rocketdyne-powered THAAD serves a critical need for the military, safeguarding our nation, allies and infrastructure from would-be missile attacks from those who wish to do us harm,” said Ross Niebergall, President, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris. “Our focus remains on continued performance excellence to provide reliable propulsion our customers can count on.”
Since production began, the combat-proven system has had a 100% success rate in missile defense tests — 16 intercepts in 16 tests. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere. Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Huntsville, Alabama, and its site in Camden, Arkansas, produce THAAD’s solid rocket boost motor. LDACS, the highly responsive thruster system, which keeps THAAD on target during the last stages of an intercept, is produced at the company’s facility in Los Angeles, California.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is a subsidiary of American defense company L3Harris Technologies that manufactures rocket, hypersonic, and electric propulsive systems for space, defense, civil and commercial applications. Aerojet traces its origins to the General Tire and Rubber Company established in 1915, while Rocketdyne was created as a division of North American Aviation in 1955. Aerojet Rocketdyne was formed in 2013 when Aerojet (then owned by GenCorp) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne were merged, following the latter’s acquisition by GenCorp from Pratt & Whitney. Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings was acquired by L3Harris in July 2023 for $4.7 billion.
