Avio S.p.A.

Avio USA broke ground on its first U.S. manufacturing facility, an approximately 900,000-square-foot solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia, that will add significant domestic capacity for U.S. missile and munitions production. Located at the Southern Virginia Multimodal Park, the facility will give Avio USA the capacity to produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually for U.S. tactical missile programs, and the company expects to create roughly 1,500 high-quality technical jobs in Southern Virginia. Avio USA is a subsidiary of Avio S.p.A., the Rome-based rocket and space propulsion group, and operates under a DCSA Special Security Agreement; CEO James Syring said the goal is to be an independent, open-source merchant supplier able to support multiple customers and programs. HITT Contracting is leading construction as general contractor, with completion expected by late 2028 and production anticipated to begin in early 2029, supporting solid rocket motor requirements across the U.S. defense industry, including programs for Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said the successful completion of the company's capital raise provided the resources for the investment, which will expand U.S. solid rocket motor manufacturing capacity and establish a lasting American presence for Avio.

Avio's new P160C solid rocket boosters successfully powered the Ariane 6 flight VA269, deploying 36 Amazon LEO satellites into low Earth orbit. Developed by Europropulsion, a joint venture between Avio and ArianeGroup, the P160C builds on the proven P120C technology with increased propellant mass to 156 tonnes, extended length to 14.5 meters, and a burn duration of 137 seconds. The upgraded booster maintains the same 3.4-meter diameter for fleet compatibility and will support future Ariane 6 and Vega configurations. Avio confirms its key role in advancing Europe's independent access to space with this milestone.