Northrop Grumman Opens Propulsion Innovation Center in Maryland, Expanding High-Tech Jobs
New facility expands solid rocket motor and hypersonic propulsion capacity while growing high-tech engineering and manufacturing jobs in Elkton
September 8, 2026
TAGS: Hypersonics, Advanced Manufacturing, Events and Conferences
Summary
Northrop Grumman opened its new Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, expanding solid rocket motor (SRM) and hypersonic propulsion capacity while growing the company’s engineering workforce and supporting high-tech jobs in the state. The investment strengthens U.S. and allied defense production while expanding Maryland’s role in the nation’s advanced manufacturing and defense industrial base.
Key Takeaways
- The Elkton Propulsion Innovation Center expands Northrop Grumman’s SRM capacity and engineering workforce, helping strengthen the U.S. supply base for hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion.
- Investment in Elkton supports significant workforce growth and creates opportunities for highly skilled engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs, strengthening Maryland’s economy and its role in supporting national security.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager, weapon systems, Gordon LoPresti, senior director, propulsion solutions and controls, and Whiting-Turner Construction executives cut the ribbon at Northrop Grumman’s new Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)
ELKTON, Md. – Sept. 8, 2026 – Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) today opened its new Propulsion Innovation Center, a 57,000-square-foot facility in Elkton,
Maryland, that houses 250 engineers working on advanced propulsion technologies for U.S. and allied defense programs. This new facility expands the company’s solid rocket motor (SRM) capacity across its propulsion manufacturing network while creating additional opportunities for highly skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs in Maryland.
The investment strengthens the company’s ability to meet growing demand for tactical missile and hypersonic propulsion while supporting Maryland’s advanced manufacturing economy.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined Northrop Grumman leaders, employees, local officials and industry partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the Propulsion Innovation Center that highlights the investment not only in national security, but also in Maryland’s workforce.
“Maryland is the best place to build and hire. That's why we're proud to have important partners, like Northrop Grumman, who are choosing Maryland - because of everything our state has to offer,” said Gov. Moore. “Our administration is investing in infrastructure and workforce development to attract major players, lead the nation in innovation, and build opportunities to continue to drive our state forward. We look forward to continuing to work with Northrop Grumman as they serve our nation’s service members.”
“The Propulsion Innovation Center is a critical investment in advanced propulsion that expands the capacity and resilience of the nation’s SRM industrial base,” said Jenna Paukstis, vice president and general manager, weapon systems, Northrop Grumman. “By bringing more engineers and manufacturing capability online in Elkton, this facility accelerates delivery of survivable, solid and air-breathing hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion solutions to the warfighter.”
Expanding Capacity in Elkton
The Propulsion Innovation Center is part of a broader $100 million investment by Northrop Grumman at the
company’s Elkton site to increase capacity for hypersonic air-breathing propulsion and SRMs. Combined with other new construction, modernization and infrastructure improvements underway at the 550-acre Propulsion Systems & Controls site, the new facility will increase on-site SRM design and manufacturing capacity by 25% and support more than 30% growth in staffing.
Northrop Grumman’s Elkton campus is a leading advanced propulsion manufacturing site, bringing design, development, manufacturing and testing capabilities together in one location. Along with the Northrop Grumman Applied Sciences Laboratory aerothermal research and testing facility in Ronkonkoma, New York, the Elkton team designs and manufactures solid and liquid propulsion systems and controls for some of the nation’s most complex defense and space systems.
Scaling Solid Rocket Motor Production
Northrop Grumman provides end-to-end production for SRMs and advanced propulsion systems used in hypersonic and tactical missile applications, including design, development, integration and manufacturing. Across six major production sites, the company’s solid rocket propellant capacity totals about 30 million pounds annually today and is expected to increase nearly 50 million pounds annually by 2028. Northrop Grumman’s produced approximately 13,000 motors in 2024 and plans to increase annual production to more than 25,000 by 2029.
Investing in the Defense Industrial Base
Over the past seven years, Northrop Grumman has invested more than
$2 billion in munitions-related technology and facilities, including more than $1 billion in advanced manufacturing facilities across the United States to increase SRM and missile-component production. Those investments include tripling tactical solid rocket motor capacity at the company’s West Virginia production facility and plans to double production capacity at its large SRM facilities in Utah over the next five years.
With nearly 100,000 employees and more than 30 million square feet of manufacturing space, Northrop Grumman has the scale and capacity to move technologies from development into production more quickly. The company continues to invest in U.S. infrastructure, research and development, its workforce and its supply chain to meet growing national security needs across a broad portfolio of tactical missile and advanced propulsion capabilities.
Media Contact
Jordan Orris
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