MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies has received a seven-year undefinitized contract from Lockheed Martin valued at over $6 billion to scale propulsion manufacturing for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. Under the multi-billion-dollar agreement, L3Harris will construct a new manufacturing facility to support increased production of THAAD Solid Rocket Boost Motors (SRBM) and expand industrial throughput for the interceptor’s Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS).
The contract reflects an aggressive surge by the U.S. Department of Defense and prime contractor Lockheed Martin (headquartered in Bethesda, Md.) to expand solid rocket motor capacity and mitigate supply chain bottlenecks across the industrial base. Operating out of primary propulsion hubs including Huntsville, Ala., and Camden, Ark., L3Harris is scaling its manufacturing footprint to quadruple missile propulsion delivery. THAAD serves as a cornerstone of global missile defense, providing hit-to-kill interception of short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in both upper endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric engagement zones.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: L3HARRIS THAAD PROPULSION & INTERCEPTOR ARCHITECTURE
* Program Designation: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Propulsion Subsystems
* Primary Contractors: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (Prime Integrator) & L3Harris Technologies (Propulsion Subcontractor)
* Contract Structure & Value: 7-Year Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) exceeding $6.0 Billion
* Industrial Expansion Scope:
* Facility Construction: New dedicated manufacturing plant for Solid Rocket Boost Motor (SRBM) production
* Subsystem Scaling: Production capacity expansion for Liquid Divert and Attitude Control Systems (TDACS)
* Interceptor Dimensions & Physical Parameters:
* Overall Length: 6.17 meters (20.2 feet)
* Airframe Diameter: 0.34 meters (13.4 inches)
* Launch Mass: ~662 kg (1,460 lbs)
* Propulsion & Kinetic Maneuver Architecture:
* Main Propulsion: Single-stage Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) with thrust vector control (TVC) nozzle for high-g boost phase
* Terminal Maneuver: High-response Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) providing high-g lateral impulse for hit-to-kill kinetic impact
* Velocity Profile: Mach 8.2+ (~2,800 m/s / hypersonic speed regime)
* Operational Engagement Envelope:
* Maximum Engagement Range: 200 kilometers (125 miles)
* Intercept Altitude Ceiling: Up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) / exo-atmospheric & upper endo-atmospheric
* Target Spectrum: Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs), Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs), and Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs)
* Sensor Integration: Indium Antimonide (InSb) Infrared (IR) seeker paired with the AN/TPY-2 X-band phased-array radar
