Italian rocket builder Avio has broken into the US market, signing agreements with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center and aerospace defense giant Raytheon.
Avio registered its wholly-owned US subsidiary, Avio USA, in the state of Delaware in 2022. According to the company’s 2023 financial report, it observed that in the area of tactical propulsion, the US had “a significant production capacity gap relative to the substantial acceleration in demand requirements.” In order to explore meeting this demand, the company hired a US team and, as of the end of 2023, had engaged “in early discussions with prospective clients.” These discussions have, it would appear, bore fruit.
On 23 July, Avio announced that it had partnered with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) for the development of solid rocket motors for surface-to-air applications. While AvMC is a branch of the US Army, it is primarily a civilian organization. Its focus is the development and demonstration of aviation and missile systems capabilities to support US Army priorities and improve overall readiness.
According to the one-paragraph announcement, Avio’s partnership with AvMC will involve the development and fast prototyping of a solid rocket motor for surface-to-air applications. The pair will work toward a capability that will allow “rapid transition to production.”
Just 10 minutes before announcing its partnership with the US Army, Avio announced that it had also signed a contract with Raytheon to develop solid rocket motors for defense applications.
“This partnership with Avio marks a commitment between our companies to work together to develop resilient and responsive production of solid rocket motors,” said vice president of operations and supply chain at Raytheon Bob Butz. “We will continue to develop and mature potential rocket motor solutions with Avio to ensure we can meet the increased long-term demand of our domestic and international customers.”
According to the announcement, the contract covers the systems engineering work required to develop a solid rocket motor to a “production-ready state.”
