by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
L3Harris Technologies officially unveiled its new $20 million solid rocket motor facility in west Huntsville on Monday, July 29, opening a 379,000-square-foot production plant that company leaders say will play a key role in expanding U.S. missile defense capabilities, including support for former President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome defense plan.
The new site, named Advanced Manufacturing Facility – South (AMF‑South), occupies a renovated building once part of the Remington Outdoors complex. It joins L3Harris’ existing AMF‑North facility, which opened in 2019, to form a two-site manufacturing hub dedicated to rocket propulsion components and systems.
“Solid rocket motors remain essential to the vast majority of critical defense programs that protect our communities, military and allies,” said Ken Bedingfield, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne, a division of L3Harris. “Our growth in Huntsville represents another significant investment we are making to boost production capacity of critical components, and we’re proud that they are being made in Alabama.”
The AMF‑South facility focuses on the production of inert (non-energetic) components for solid rocket motors, including nozzles, aft closures, exit cones, and motor cases. Equipped with hydraulic presses, autoclaves, tape-wrap systems, and composite machining tools, the plant is designed to increase output speed and precision while ensuring high-quality manufacturing standards.
“Huntsville’s dynamic business climate is centered on workforce and technology,” said Mayor Tommy Battle during the unveiling. “This solid state-of-the-art solid rocket motor manufacturing facility is at the intersection of all our priorities. This facility is the symbol of innovation, of readiness, and resilience.”
The plant is already supporting critical national defense programs, such as the Standard Missile, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), and the Javelin. L3Harris anticipates transferring some production work from its Camden, Arkansas, site to Huntsville, where the AMF-South facility will focus on inert components, while Camden will continue to handle energetic materials.
“Here at the AMF, we’ll focus on the inerts,” said Mark Farley, Vice President of Missile Solutions for Aerojet Rocketdyne. “And we’ve got significant growth opportunities in automation manufacturing, modernization, and really a great workforce.”
Farley added that AMF‑North, known internally as “The Rocket Shop,” will continue producing interceptors and full-scale solid rocket motors, while AMF‑South handles small- and medium-sized components, with ample space for expansion.
The project has already created 40 new jobs, and over 100 additional positions are expected in the coming years. Across both facilities, L3Harris now employs more than 700 people in the Huntsville area, cementing the city’s role as a national center for propulsion innovation and defense readiness.