L3Harris Technologies has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its large solid rocket motor (LSRM) manufacturing capabilities in Camden, Arkansas, reaffirming the region’s growing importance in U.S. aerospace and defense. The nearly $500 million investment will result in the construction of over 20 new facilities across 110 acres in Calhoun County, creating more than 50 new jobs and reinforcing a six-fold increase in LSRM production capacity.
“Arkansas is a great place for L3Harris to fortify the domestic solid rocket motor industrial base, with its dedicated workforce and strong state and local partnerships,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO of L3Harris. “Large solid rocket motors are essential to our nation’s missile and strategic defense.”
The new facilities will support L3Harris’ work on propulsion systems for missile defense targets, interceptors, and hypersonic vehicles. The site will also feature over 130,000 square feet of new office and production space, adding to the company’s 2,000-acre energetic materials campus in Camden, where approximately 1,300 Arkansans are already employed.
Aerospace powerhouse in the making
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders played a central role in securing the investment following her meeting with Kubasik at the 2025 Paris Air Show. “We are proud to welcome their new manufacturing facilities to South Arkansas and excited they are helping to position Arkansas as the arsenal of democracy,” she said. “It’s no surprise that major companies like L3Harris continue to invest in our state and drive our number one export industry, aerospace and defense.”
The announcement follows a previous expansion in February 2025, when L3Harris began construction of four additional rocket motor facilities as part of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Production Act Title III program.
Economic and national security impact
“This capital investment strengthens our national security and creates high-skilled jobs in the state,” said Clint O’Neal, Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “L3Harris is not just investing in infrastructure, but in people and in Arkansas’ future.”
Local officials welcomed the expansion as a continuation of South Arkansas’ legacy in aerospace and defense. “Calhoun County provides a strong workforce and great business environment for L3Harris’ continued growth,” said County Judge Floyd Nutt.
As the company eyes a 2027 production start, Arkansas cements its place as a critical player in the nation’s defense industrial base, offering Japanese and global investors a model for regional innovation, skilled labor, and public-private collaboration.
