Anduril Industries, a key supplier of equipment to the U.S. Department of Defense, has opened its solid rocket motor facility in Stone County.
In an Aug. 5 announcement, the company said it had completed its $75 million expansion in McHenry, now employing 100 people. The center is being used to develop tactical solid rocket motors to meet a growing demand for munitions amid ongoing conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, as referenced by Anduril.
Since breaking ground in Mississippi in 2024, Anduril has test-fired more than 700 motors. The company’s expansion in the Magnolia State is projected to grow annual production to 6,000 tactical motors by the end of 2026. Anduril’s growing footprint in the state is backed by an investment from the Defense Production Act.
“Senior defense leaders consistently call for a revitalization of the Arsenal of Democracy. That effort must start with increasing SRM production. And that starts with us,” Brielle Terry, general manager of rocket motor systems at Anduril, said.
In recent years, the Army and Navy have called upon Anduril to assist in various missile and artillery initiatives. Expanding operations in south Mississippi is expected to help the company build rocket motors faster and at a much more affordable cost.
“We have a remarkably strong and versatile workforce and an ideal business environment for growth. This is exactly why our presence continues to grow in the space and defense communities,” Gov. Tate Reeves said when Anduril announced its expansion in 2024.
Anduril joins Northrop Grumman and L3Harris as the only suppliers of rocket motors for the U.S. military.
