Pentagon, L3Harris to build ‘Factories of the Future’ in Camden

New 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will centralize production of solid rocket motors under one roof,

By Arkansas Delta Informer Staff

CAMDEN, Ark. – Feb. 22, 2025 – Defense contractor L3Harris Technologies has started construction of a multimillion-dollar rocket motor production complex in Camden that will increase the speed of production and delivery for the nation’s mission stockpile, including those headed to Ukraine.

The expansion is part of a $215.6 million cooperative agreement between the Defense Department’s (DoD) Defense Production Act Title III program and L3Harris first announced in April 2023. At the time, L3Harris was still two months away from completing its $4.6 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne in July 2023, a critical merchant supplier of propulsion systems for the nation’s larger defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

According to L3 Harris, headquartered in Melbourne, Fla., construction workers in south Arkansas are building four new rocket motor production facilities to increase domestic rocket propulsion manufacturing capacity as demand grows for tactical and strategic missile capabilities.

Following construction, the sprawling Camden site that now employs more than 1100 workers will include a 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will centralize production of a key program under one roof, cutting the distance motors travel during manufacturing by 80%. The expansion will also include a dedicated mixer building and complementary propellant processing buildings to support increased motor production.

“Expanding solid rocket motor production in Arkansas is a strategic investment in our nation’s security at a time when defense and deterrence are increasingly critical on the global stage,” said Ken Bedingfield, President of L3Harris’s Aerojet Rocketdyne divisions. “Our propulsion is a key enabler of the ‘Arsenal of Democracy 2.0,’ and L3Harris is committed to ramping up production to support the defense of our nation, its allies and partners.”

Since signing the cooperative agreement with the Defense Department nearly two years ago, L3Harris has finalized building designs, created plans for undeveloped property across multiple sites and purchased new equipment. New tooling and equipment have already contributed to increased motor production. 

Pentagon officials said then that the pact with L3Harris would modernize manufacturing systems that propel DoD missiles and missile defense interceptors, along with space launch vehicles and national security satellites used in civil and commercial applications. Among many things, the DoD funds would help modernize manufacturing processes at the company’s facilities, consolidate production lines, purchase equipment, build systems to process data, and increase production and delivery speed for Javelins, Stingers, and the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS).

The funding for the Camden facility comes from the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, part of nearly $175 billion in emergency funding to provide military equipment and operational support to Ukraine in the war against Russia. To date, the U.S. has provided the Ukrainian government with Javelins, Stingers and GMLRS rockets, and Pentagon officials said the modernization of the Camden site will benefit DoD as it replenishes its ammunition supplies.

Under the cooperative agreement, the company is also modernizing and expanding solid rocket motor facilities in two additional states. L3Harris will build new facilities in Orange County, Virginia, to support increased production and will transition production of inert components for critical missile systems to Huntsville, Alabama. 

“This effort is an imperative step forward to tackle the Department’s solid rocket motor needs,” said Anthony Di Stasio, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. “By expanding and modernizing its manufacturing capabilities, L3Harris will increase and speed up production to more rapidly address current demands and help replenish U.S. stockpiles in the future.”

Late last year, the federal government completed National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews at the Camden and Orange County sites prior to construction. NEPA assessments are a statutory requirement for all federally funded activities. In December, L3Harris said it began preparing the land at its Camden site for new roads, utility installation, and facility construction. While the environmental assessments were ongoing, L3Harris also finalized building designs for Camden, developed plans for undeveloped property across multiple sites, and purchased new equipment.

Gov. Sarah Sanders, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark, along with Pentagon, industry customers and state and local dignitaries attended Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony in Camden.

“Aerospace is Arkansas’ largest export industry and my administration is working hard to grow Camden’s reputation as an aerospace powerhouse, not just in Arkansas but around the country and the world,” said Sanders. “This announcement reinforces Camden’s role in Arkansas’ economy and America’s national defense, and I am grateful for L3Harris’ continued commitment to the Natural State.”

Prior to the L3 Harris acquisition, the Camden manufacturing site served as Aerojet Rocketdyne’s “center of excellence” for solid rocket motor (SRM) production. Currently, the site manufactures more than 100,000 SRMs yearly at the sprawling Highland Industrial Park, which encompasses nearly 2,000 acres and has 1.35M square feet of floor space spread across 150 buildings.

Camden produces SRMs ranging in size from large boosters the size of a small car to small steering motors that can fit in the palm of your hand. The motors propel some of America’s most critical defense systems, such as THAAD, Standard Missile, Stinger, Javelin, and the Patriot Missile System. 

In its latest fourth quarter and year-end earnings report, L3 Harris reported fourth earnings of $3.47 per share on revenue of $5.5 billion. For the full year, the Florida-based defense contractor posted revenue of $21.3 billion, a 10% increase from the previous year and 4% organic growth. The company also reported a strong order intake of $24.2 billion for 2024, resulting in a record backlog of orders valued at $34 billion.