Reviewed by: Amelia Pilgrim
Huntsville growth announced in $1 billion defense and aerospace project
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Defense and aerospace company, L3Harris Technologies, announced a $1 billion+ expansion project this week. This announcement, concerning nationwide expansion for the company, also confirmed continued modernization efforts in Huntsville.
Read on to learn more about the company’s upcoming expansion, as well as its history in Huntsville.
L3Harris’ Growing Presence In Huntsville
While present in Huntsville since 2017, L3Harris’ presence in the area became extremely impactful in 2023, when the company acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne.
L3Harris expanded again in 2024 by leasing a 379,000-square-foot manufacturing facility near the airport. That facility — known as AMF-South — officially opened in August 2025 following more than $20 million in renovations and investments.
L3Harris has described Huntsville as its “Inert Manufacturing Center of Excellence” for solid rocket motor production. Company facilities in the area support several major defense programs, including Javelin, Standard Missile and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) production.
Company officials have previously stated that Huntsville employment has increased by 700% since 2017, with roughly 800 employees working locally as of 2024. With the recent and upcoming expansion, this number will only grown.
L3Harris Update and Huntsville
Earlier this month, L3Harris, alongside the Virginia Governor and the Orange County Board of Supervisors, unveiled plans for the Virginia Advanced Propulsion Facilities (VAPF). This project is expected to more than double manufacturing space at L3Harris’ Orange County site and create more than 350 jobs over the next five years.
According to company officials, the project builds on a previously announced expansion and will support production operations tied to multiple national defense programs, including those based in the Rocket City.
“L3Harris’ continued investments in solid rocket motor facilities are bolstering manufacturing capacity for key national defense programs.”
Ken Bedingfield, President of Missile Solutions at L3Harris
Alongside the central Virginia project, L3Harris said it is continuing modernization and expansion work at facilities in Huntsville and Camden, Arkansas. The company stated those investments are intended to significantly increase production rates across several major programs.
Huntsville has remained a major hub for aerospace, missile defense and propulsion manufacturing in recent years. The continued growth of L3Harris in the region is just one of many job and industry advancements.
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