MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Department of Defense (DoD), L3Harris Technologies and Lockheed Martin have signed a seven-year framework agreement intended to quadruple production capacity for propulsion components used in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, supporting broader efforts to expand the U.S. missile industrial base.
The agreement covers production of THAAD's Solid Rocket Boost Motor (SRBM) and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (LDACS), both manufactured by L3Harris for the Missile Defense Agency. Company officials said the agreement represents the largest THAAD propulsion award in L3Harris' history and is expected to be definitized later this year.
According to the DoD, the framework agreement is intended to provide industry with stable, long-term demand signals that encourage investment in manufacturing capacity, strengthen the defense industrial base and accelerate delivery of critical missile defense capabilities. The agreement supports the DoD's Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which seeks to streamline acquisition processes while providing suppliers with greater production visibility for critical defense programs.
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Giving a boost
The SRBM provides the initial propulsion that accelerates the interceptor after launch, while the LDACS uses liquid-fueled divert thrusters to perform rapid course corrections during the terminal phase of flight, enabling precise endgame maneuvering of the interceptor's kinetic kill vehicle. Unlike the primary rocket motor, the LDACS operates during the final seconds of flight, generating the high-precision divert maneuvers required for the hit-to-kill interceptor to collide directly with an incoming ballistic missile.
The agreement reflects a broader shift in DoD acquisition strategy toward long-term production planning for missile defense programs. Rather than relying solely on individual procurement contracts, the Department is increasingly using framework agreements to provide suppliers with predictable demand signals intended to support investments in manufacturing capacity, workforce expansion, and production infrastructure.
According to the DoD, the THAAD agreement is one of two seven-year framework agreements announced this week to expand missile defense production capacity. The Department also announced a separate agreement supporting production of propulsion and lethality components for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptor, including its two-pulse solid rocket motor, attitude control motors and lethality enhancer.
The THAAD agreement follows previously announced PAC-3 MSE industrial base agreements involving Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Honeywell as the DoD continues efforts to expand domestic production capacity for advanced missile defense systems.
Lockheed Martin serves as prime contractor for the THAAD weapon system, which is designed to intercept short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of flight, both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.
L3Harris manufactures THAAD solid rocket boost motors in Huntsville, Ala., and Camden, Ark. The company's LDACS propulsion systems are produced in Los Angeles.
