L3Harris Receives Letter of Intent to Supply 60 Zeus Hypersonic Motors to Kratos

L3Harris Technologies has received a letter of intent for a commercial contract to manufacture 60 Zeus hypersonic solid rocket motors for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, marking a significant step toward scaling U.S. hypersonic propulsion capacity. If the agreement is finalised, the order would increase L3Harris’ annual production rate of Zeus motors by more than 50 percent, following the successful development and flight testing of the Zeus 1 and Zeus 2 variants by Kratos.

The proposed contract underscores growing demand for advanced solid rocket motors as the United States accelerates testing and evaluation of hypersonic systems. Zeus motors are intended to support Kratos’ customers within the U.S. Department of Defense, particularly in programmes focused on hypersonic vehicles and ballistic missile defence experimentation.

Scaling After Successful Flight Tests

L3Harris’ propulsion business, operating under its Aerojet Rocketdyne division, has positioned the Zeus motor line as a modern replacement for legacy suborbital rocket motors. The motors are designed to match existing systems in fit and form, allowing them to be integrated into current test architectures without extensive infrastructure changes, while delivering significantly higher performance.

Ken Bedingfield, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne at L3Harris, said the letter of intent reflects both companies’ confidence in the maturity of the Zeus design and its relevance to future missions. He noted that the motors incorporate advanced propulsion technologies to meet today’s demanding test requirements while remaining scalable for more complex hypersonic challenges ahead.

Supporting Hypersonic and Missile Defence Testing

The Zeus motors will be used in support of U.S. hypersonic vehicle development and missile defence testing, areas that have become central to Pentagon modernisation efforts. Among the efforts expected to benefit is the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed, a joint initiative that provides a flexible platform for rapid, cost-effective hypersonic flight experiments across multiple U.S. military services.

By enabling repeated and reliable test flights, solid rocket motors such as Zeus play a critical role in validating guidance systems, advanced materials, sensors, and defensive countermeasures in the extreme speed and temperature regimes associated with hypersonic flight.

Design and Manufacturing Footprint

L3Harris designed the Zeus motors in Huntsville, Alabama, leveraging decades of experience in large solid rocket motor engineering. Production takes place at the company’s energetics campus in Camden, Arkansas, one of the largest solid rocket motor manufacturing sites in the United States. The Camden facility produces more than 115,000 solid rocket motors annually across a broad spectrum of sizes and mission profiles, supporting defence, space, and test applications.

The potential increase in Zeus motor output would further expand activity at the Arkansas site, reinforcing its role as a key industrial hub for U.S. propulsion manufacturing.

Growing Momentum in Hypersonic Propulsion

The letter of intent comes amid heightened investment across the U.S. defence sector in hypersonic technologies, where propulsion reliability, production scalability, and rapid turnaround are increasingly seen as strategic advantages. For Kratos, securing a higher-volume supply of Zeus motors supports its role as a provider of affordable, responsive test solutions for government customers. For L3Harris, the prospective contract strengthens its position in the hypersonic propulsion market at a time when demand is expected to continue rising.

Finalisation of the contract would formalise the next phase of collaboration between the two companies, translating recent test successes into sustained production and operational support for U.S. hypersonic and missile defence programmes.