L3Harris科技公司计划扩建其位于弗吉尼亚州奥兰治县的固体火箭发动机产能，建立“弗吉尼亚先进推进设施”（VAPF）。这家防务承包商预计该项目耗资12.65亿美元，将使该地点的制造空间翻倍，并在未来五年内创造约350个工作岗位。公司导弹解决方案部门总裁肯·贝丁菲尔德表示，持续投资固体火箭发动机设施旨在增强国家关键防务项目的产能。
新设施将支持跨越多个五角大楼计划的关键生产操作，包括推进剂的混合、研磨、铸造和最终组装。该扩建项目得到了弗吉尼亚州政府机会基金及州议会重大就业投资项目审批委员会的支持。目前，该基地拥有2.3万平方米的制造空间，是L3Harris推进剂研究及中小型固体火箭发动机生产的卓越中心。
此外，L3Harris最近还宣布了在阿肯色州卡姆登和阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔基地的现代化及扩建计划。公司预计，通过对新设施、设备和工艺的持续投资，一系列关键项目的固体火箭发动机产量将实现两倍、三倍乃至四倍的增长。
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.