The Department of War is awarding funding totaling $39.6 million to Materials Resources LLC, or MRL; ICF Mercantile; and SPARC Research to expand domestic solid rocket motor production.
Michael Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said Friday that the strategic investments ensure that the department will have access to crucial munition propulsion systems to support national security missions.
The funding awards were made via Title III of the Defense Production Act, or DPA, which aims to build a robust and resilient domestic supply chain and fill gaps in the defense industrial base.
“By partnering with industry through the Defense Production Act, we are strengthening the resilience of our supply chains and growing domestic manufacturing capacity that is vital to maintaining our technological edge,” Duffey added.
New Round of DPA Title III Funding Recipients
MRL received the largest award at $25.2 million to demonstrate its prototype additive manufacturing cells to rapidly produce metallic cases used in solid rocket motors. Based in Xenia, Ohio, the company said it can switch materials and component designs quickly.
ICF secured $9.3 million for the first domestic production source of rayon filament cellulose precursor rayon, a critical component for manufacturing carbon phenolic ablatives used in solid rocket motor and re-entry body heatshields. The Warren, New Jersey-headquartered firm will employ ionic liquid technology, which is said to be environmentally safe and will increase rayon fiber capacity while lowering the material cost of manufacturing solid rocket motors.
SPARC, based in Warrenton, Virginia, was awarded $5.1 million to make affordable components to support solid rocket motor manufacturing.
The War Department has so far made a total of $777.1 million in DPA Title III awards since the beginning of fiscal year 2025. In January, Anduril Industries received $14.3 million to expand and modernize its solid rocket motor production facility in McHenry, Mississippi.
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