RTX's Raytheon and Ursa Major conduct successful flight test

Key milestone for the rapid development of affordable, long-range precision munitions

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, and Ursa Major announced its advanced long-range solid rocket motor completed a successful missile flight test for the U.S. Army. The companies' combined experience and expertise in digital engineering was a critical factor in accelerating the design and development of this transformational capability.

"These long-range solid rocket motors will allow the U.S. Army and allies to strike farther and faster than anything our adversaries have in their arsenals," said Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. "This long-range rocket motor technology fills the essential role of providing affordable precision fires, while increasing range, safety, and magazine depth." 

Raytheon and Ursa Major's technical approach composes innovative, low-cost component technologies to deliver a new generation of smart munitions for the U.S. Army that are significantly more affordable than currently fielded systems.

"The Ursa Major team has utilized additive manufacturing to complete motor development, manufacturing, and testing in unprecedented timelines, resulting in nearly 300 static test fires this year," said Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky.  "The innovative manufacturing techniques we employ are yielding agile solid rocket motor solutions with the design flexibility needed to expand the capabilities of the U.S. military. Ursa Major is poised to scale the production of higher-performing solid rocket motors at the pace and volume the country requires and at a price the country can afford."

Raytheon has selected Ursa Major's advanced propulsion technology as a key enabler to provide affordable solutions for the U.S. Army at extended ranges. During the next phase of the program, Raytheon and Ursa Major will incorporate manufacturing improvements, leading toward additional flight tests in 2025 and qualification in 2026.

In 2023, RTX Ventures invested in Ursa Major to explore new rocket motor technologies and help address this national security requirement. Together, Raytheon and Ursa Major are responding to the U.S. Army's urgent need for affordable precision-guided munitions by rapidly developing a new generation of smart munitions, via investments in rocket motor development and testing to prove design stability and maturity.

 About Raytheon 
Raytheon, an RTX business, is a leading provider of defense solutions to help the U.S. government, our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. For more than 100 years, Raytheon has developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, interceptors, space-based systems, hypersonics and missile defense across land, air, sea and space. 

About RTX 
With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. 

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact corporatepr@rtx.com 

About Ursa Major
Ursa Major is America's leading privately funded company focusing solely on rocket propulsion, bringing high-performance, staged combustion liquid engines to market for space, launch, and hypersonic uses while deploying a novel manufacturing process to scale solid rocket motor production. Ursa Major customers, ranging from commercial space launch providers to enterprise-level aerospace and defense leaders as well as the U.S. government, get to flight faster, more reliably and cost-effectively. The company employs the most sought-after engineers from top aerospace programs and universities. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing facilities in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major was named one of the best places to work by Built in Colorado three years in a row. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com.  

SOURCE RTX