As military leaders increasingly seek weapons that can travel greater distances, strike with enhanced speed, and be produced affordably at scale, L3Harris has made a notable advancement in this arena. The company recently conducted a pivotal solid fuel ramjet test at its facility in Orange County, Virginia, pushing forward the development of next-generation propulsion technology for both offensive and defensive operations.
The test marked L3Harris’s initial full-scale experiment with a new solid fuel ramjet grain that has been specifically engineered to significantly lower fuel costs relative to previous industry benchmarks. During this ground test, the system was ignited and operated in a direct connect flight-representative environment, enabling engineers to assess performance across a broad range of the simulated flight envelope. Preliminary results indicated propulsion levels aligned with expectations for flight operations, providing the team with critical data as they refine the design for tactical missile system demonstrations.
“This test is an important step in proving solid fuel ramjet propulsion can deliver the speed, range and affordability our customers need,” stated Scott Alexander, President of Missile Propulsion at L3Harris. “We are reducing risk now so we can move faster toward a scalable capability for the warfighter.”
This test event is crucial in validating key performance metrics as L3Harris accelerates its efforts toward flight testing. This disciplined methodology represents a significant risk reduction measure aimed at empowering solid fuel ramjet propulsion to bridge a critical performance and cost divide for the U.S. military and its allies.
“We are answering the Department of War’s call for longer-reach, more capable, lower-cost propulsion that is producible at scale,” remarked Joel Warhurst, Director of Business Development at L3Harris. “We are designing for manufacturability, performance, and production capacity with a straightforward goal of achieving greater speed and range at a cost that supports affordable mass production.”
With further ground testing in the pipeline, L3Harris is swiftly moving from data collection and design refinement to tactical missile flight demonstrations, all while developing a propulsion solution that meets the speed, scale, and affordability requirements of future missions.
L3Harris is drawing on over 80 years of expertise in producing solid rocket motors and advanced airbreathing propulsion systems vital for defense initiatives as it advances this technology. The firm is also investing its own resources to propel next-generation developments swiftly into production. Through the application of proven engineering practices and advanced manufacturing techniques, the company is enhancing producibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness while enabling designs that traditional manufacturing methods struggle to achieve.
The Orange County, Virginia, facility plays a crucial role in these advancements. In addition to testing next-generation propulsion capabilities, L3Harris has announced over $1 billion in expansion plans for its solid rocket motor production capacity at this site, creating the Virginia Advanced Propulsion Facilities campus. This expansion is projected to more than double the manufacturing area while generating over 350 jobs in the next five years. By coupling a growing workforce in propulsion with state-of-the-art facilities and ongoing testing, L3Harris is solidifying Orange County as a significant nexus for advanced propulsion systems.
Source: L3Harris (2026-07-01)
