Department of War commits $191 million to expand and upgrade the solid rocket motor industrial base

The Department of War announced an April 20, 2026, investment of $27.3 million in Defense Production Act Title III funds to Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company (PacSci EMC) in Chandler, Arizona, as part of a broader push to expand the solid rocket motor industrial base, strengthen supply chains, and increase domestic output in strategic areas.

“The DoW is focused on rapidly expanding and accelerating munitions production, driving a surge in demand for SRMs,” said Michael Duffey, the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. “Strengthening supply chains through smart investments will help alleviate SRM shortfalls by increasing capacity and reducing manufacturing lead times for key components.”

PacSci EMC plans to boost production of the universal Arm Fire Device, a key safety component in solid rocket motor applications, by scaling proven processes to meet high-volume program needs. The company intends to stand up a fully integrated manufacturing facility encompassing all production and support steps to improve efficiency, cut errors, and speed deliveries.

Since December 2024, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy has made nine investments in the solid rocket motor sector under a Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Agreement solicitation, totaling $191 million in DPA Title III funds. Prior awards under the same solicitation include:
– $5 million to Systima Technologies Inc., part of Karman Space & Defense, to increase SRM nozzle production capacity.
– $27.7 million to R.E. Darling Co., Inc. to establish expanded capacity and a modernized manufacturing capability for SRM case insulation materials.
– $12.6 million to Americarb Inc. to develop a solution for converting woven rayon fabric into carbonized rayon phenolic, a crucial polymeric ablative material utilized for insulating rocket nozzles in SRMs.
– $20.9 million to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems to increase SRM nozzle production capacity and capability, becoming a new supplier for composite rocket nozzles and insulators.
– $5.1 million to SPARC Research LLC to establish a dedicated and affordable supply of rocket motor components for the SRM industrial base, supporting improvements to high-performance propulsion systems.
– $9.3 million to ICF Mercantile LLC to establish the first domestic production source of rayon filament cellulose precursor rayon, which will in turn support the production of Carbon Phenolic Ablatives used in SRM and Re-Entry Body heatshields.
– $25.2 million to Materials Resources LLC to demonstrate SRM prototype production capability that will provide the Department with agile production of SRM metallic cases via additive manufacturing using MRL’s scalable manufacturing cells.
– $58 million to Anduril Industries, Inc. to modernize and expand its SRM production by modifying existing production facilities and improving the manufacturing processes by which it produces SRMs.

The PacSci EMC award is one of five investments made by the DPA Purchases Office totaling $482.6 million since the start of fiscal year 2026. The Warfighting Investment, Resourcing, and Execution Directorate oversees DPA Purchases. The industrial base policy office works with domestic and international partners to sustain a robust, secure, and resilient defense industrial base and uses the DIBC OTA to solicit research and prototype solutions focused on supply chain resiliency.