L3Harris Technologies plans to expand solid rocket motor production capacity at its site in Orange County, Virginia with the creation of the Virginia Advanced Propulsion Facilities (VAPF). The defense contractor expects the $1.265 billion project to nearly double the location's manufacturing space and create approximately 350 jobs over the next five years.READ MORE: President's 2027 Budget to Kill Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Shift Billions to Defense, Drones“L3Harris’ continued investments in solid rocket motor facilities are bolstering manufacturing capacity for key national defense programs,” President of Missile Solutions Ken Bedingfield said.The company plans to construct new facilities at the Orange County site to support key solid rocket motor production operations spanning multiple Pentagon programs. The project will support operations such as mixing, grinding, casting and final assembly.Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bryan Nicol said the expansion would receive support from Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund and the General Assembly's Major Employment Investment Project Approval Commission.The Virginia site currently features 256,000 square feet of manufacturing space and serves as L3Harris' Center of Excellence for Propellant Research and Small to Medium-sized Solid Rocket Motor Production.L3Harris also recently announced modernization and expansion projects for solid rocket motor production at its sites in Camden, Arkansas and Huntsville, Alabama. The company anticipates the ongoing investments in new facilities, equipment and processes will double, triple and quadruple solid rocket motor production rates for a range of key programs.