L3Harris boosts Javelin production with new Virginia plant
L3Harris has begun construction of a new rocket motor factory in Virginia to boost the production of key components for the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles.
According to the portal Defense News, L3Harris has started work on expanding its Aerojet Rocketdyne facility in Orange County, Virginia, where small and medium rocket motors will be produced. In addition to ramping up production capabilities, the testing center will also undergo modernization.
This initiative aims to swiftly address the gap in the US Army's handheld anti-tank weaponry after providing Ukraine with over 10,000 Javelins following February 2022. Annual production is set to rise from 2,400 to nearly 4,000 units by 2026, requiring expansion of all subcontractors' facilities. The project is funded by part of the $215 million the company received to boost production capabilities.
Increasing production efficiency
The expansion is scheduled to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of 2026, with production expected to begin in early 2027, said Scott Alexander, president of missile solutions at L3Harris. The company has been operating in the Shenandoah region for 30 years, producing rocket motors for major programs including the Standard Missile, Trident II D5, and a jet engine for NASA's Artemis program. This area also hosts a propellant research and development center, as well as SRM production and advanced testing facilities.
L3Harris has also initiated the construction of new facilities in Camden, Arkansas, which will focus on increasing the production of rocket motors used in GMLRS rockets. The company is also relocating all its inactive components, such as motor casings, to Huntsville, Alabama.
Innovations in the production process
The new facilities are designed to boost the company’s overall production capacity for Javelin rocket motors by 20%, thanks to strategic building layouts and optimized production lines. This enhancement is aimed at reducing total production time, resulting in quicker delivery schedules.
Julie Wikete, director of the Aerojet facility in Orange, stated that the new buildings will feature increased automation and robotics. She explained that by constructing these updated facilities, the company can implement forward-thinking designs that will directly enhance the production of Javelin rocket systems.
FGM-148 Javelin: An effective weapon against Russian armored forces
The FGM-148 Javelin is an advanced "fire and forget" anti-tank system that plays a crucial role in the conflict in Ukraine. Thanks to fourth-generation infrared guidance technology that allows the sensor to see a thermal image of the target, it effectively destroys Russian tanks, as confirmed by video evidence. Their numbers have decreased in recent months, possibly because Ukrainians are conserving missiles due to a lack of new supplies from the US.
The FGM-148 Javelin system offers two targeting modes. The first is a direct attack suitable for very short distances, and the second involves the missile initially ascending before diving down onto the target. This mode is lethal for tanks, as the missile strikes the tank's weakest top armor.
Adding cages or reactive armor blocks on the roof has minimal effect, as the dual-charge warhead can penetrate more than 28 inches of equivalent armored steel. Such protection is characteristic of the front part of the tank, not its top. The range of the missiles in the first version from the 1990s was about 1.5 miles, and current production models now have the capability to hit targets over 2.8 miles away.
