The Arkansas Advanced Propulsion Facilities (AAPF) campus is set to become the nation’s epicenter for medium and large solid rocket motor production. Since breaking ground in November 2025, the project has achieved several key milestones, demonstrating L3Harris’ commitment to delivering capability at speed. When complete, the campus is expected to increase large solid rocket motor capacity six-fold.
Construction teams have completed 90% of the civil construction earthwork for the 20+ building pads, enabling the installation of utilities from the main roads into each future production building area. Construction teams are now progressing with building layout, concrete slab foundation placement and metal shell construction.
These milestones will be followed by building interior fit-outs, which will prepare each facility for turnover – the stage when construction is finished and the building is handed over for operational readiness. Teams continue to procure long lead equipment through critical and final design reviews, and key equipment deliveries are scheduled to begin later this year.
Over the next few months, slab foundations and full metal building assembly will be completed for multiple buildings. Key production equipment, including eight new propellant cure ovens, is slated for installation during this timeframe – a significant step toward establishing operational capability. This momentum sets the stage for mid-2027, when the first completed buildings are planned to be released to production teams.
L3Harris’ multi-billion-dollar investment in solid rocket motor capacity expansion includes more than $1 billion designated to grow the Camden, Arkansas, site. The AAPF campus is being engineered with new capabilities that will modernize how medium and large solid rocket motor manufacturing is executed.
Optimized building operations, automated process controls and advanced material handling and transportation systems utilizing autonomous mobile robots will streamline flow and reduce cycle time. Smart safety technologies, including automated crane position identification and interlocked door systems, will strengthen safe operations while supporting higher throughput.
The design also anticipates future needs. Additional pre-planned buildings, including the option for a second casting facility, can be built quickly if further acceleration is required. This strategy ensures capacity can scale rapidly as demand grows.
Across the company’s solid rocket motor production sites in Alabama, Arkansas and Virginia, L3Harris is constructing approximately 60 new facilities and expanding its manufacturing footprint by more than 1 million square feet. AAPF sits at the center of this transformation, purpose-built to support solid rocket motors for tactical missiles, air defense systems, hypersonic vehicles, interceptors and missile defense targets.
