Saab has selected emerging solid rocket motor manufacturer Anduril Rocket Motor Systems to design and manufacture solid rocket motors (SRMs) for its Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB). The collaboration marks the beginning of Anduril’s efforts to become a major new solid rocket motor supplier in the United States and aims to meet the growing needs in munitions production.
Strategy to Increase Manufacturing Capacity in the US
The selection of Anduril is seen as a significant development as the company currently operates in a limited market with only two major players. With the need to significantly increase ammunition production in the US to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and meet future needs, more companies are entering this specialized field.
Brad Barnard, vice president and general manager of land systems for Saab’s U.S. subsidiary, said the partnership aligns with Saab’s strategy of building both its U.S. presence and strategic partners. “That’s one of the really exciting areas for us, building these strategic partners that will complement our broader U.S. capacity and capability growth strategy,” Barnard said.
GLSDB Development and the Need for New SRM
Saab and Boeing develop cost-effective, precision-fired munition with 360-degree coverage Partnered to develop GLSDB in 2014The team demonstrated this capability in 2019 and received a U.S. Air Force contract to support U.S. European Command in 2023, according to Barnard.
To ensure GLSDB remains relevant in the future, the team identified finding a new rocket engine partner as the “first and most critical step” to transition away from the government-supplied, now discontinued M26 MLRS solid-fuel rocket engine used in munitions. After a competitive process, Saab and Boeing selected Anduril. Barnard emphasized that Anduril “really differentiated themselves throughout the process by coming forward with the right technical solution, with the timelines for delivery.”
Anduril's Production Capacity and Targets
Both Anduril and Saab have taken significant steps to increase their footprint in U.S. defense manufacturing. Saab is building a new facility in Grayling, Michigan, where it plans to manufacture the GLSDB, and the first systems are expected to roll off the line in about a year.
Anduril acquired the solid-fuel rocket engine company in 2023 and is planning to build a brand new solid-fuel rocket engine manufacturing facility on a 450-acre site in McHenry, Mississippi. $75 million investment “We believe we need more competition in the solid rocket motor business in our country,” said Neil Thurgood, Anduril’s senior vice president, who oversees the air and ground deterrent division. “Anduril’s goal is to be the third solid rocket motor provider for our country,” the company said. The company will eventually producing about 6.000 solid rocket motors per year and states that it can start full capacity production in approximately 100 days after the initial certification process.
Thurgood noted that Anduril uses innovative manufacturing methods that are optimized for safety and cost-effectiveness, bring in new downstream suppliers, and will allow the company to put the GLSDB engine into full production in 2026. He added that the company is implementing single-piece flow production, high-speed paddleless mixers, and other automation solutions to produce the SRMs, which will contribute to faster production and better quality. He also noted that the manufacturing facility is built in a modular manner, and “on any given day, we can produce different engines on the same production line, in the same process.”
Once the definitive propellant recipe for GLSDB is determined, the team will move on to testing and qualifying the SRM to get it into production, with full system-level testing likely to occur in Q2 or Q3 of next year.
