Northrop, Dynetics & ECE Join Lockheed in DARPA’s OpFires Program

Lockheed Martin today Northrop Grumman, Dynetics, and Electronic Concepts & Engineering, Inc (ECE) joined the company to work on DARPA’s OpFires Phase Three Weapon System Integration program.

“As Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) continues the work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to advance the unique hypersonic technologies of its Operational Fires (OpFires) program, the company today announced its initial round of key subcontractors on the program. Joining prime contractor Lockheed Martin on the OpFires Phase Three Weapon System Integration program are Northrop Grumman, Dynetics, and Electronic Concepts & Engineering, Inc (ECE),” the company said in a release.

OpFires seeks to develop and demonstrate an innovative ground-launched system to enable a hypersonic boost glide missile system to penetrate modern enemy air defenses and rapidly engage time-sensitive targets. The company expects to complete its first live fire in 2021.

“OpFires and its unique throttleable booster make it a versatile platform to launch a variety of payloads over varied ranges and for this reason, OpFires is well-suited to address the Army’s Medium Range Strategic Fires needs,” said Steven Botwinik, director of Tactical and Strike Missiles Advanced Programs.

Specifically, the new subcontractors on the program will support the technology development in the following ways:

• Northrop Grumman in Elkton, Md., will develop the stage one solid rocket motor;
• Dynetics in Huntsville, Ala., will deliver the cannister, all up round and fins, and support integration and test; and
• ECE, a small business based in Holland, Ohio, will provide the booster power pyro module.