ASTRO America, Northrop Grumman, Florida State University InSPIRE, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Air Warfare Directorate, Mission Effects Division (AFRL/RAB) have partnered to apply additive and advanced manufacturing to munitions production.
Having signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the organisations hope to improve the resilience of the US defence industrial base.
Under the CRADA, partners will assess, develop, and implement advanced manufacturing technologies to demonstrate affordable, high-throughput manufacturing of subsonic munitions. The Design for Affordable and Rapid Throughput (DART) initiative aims to drive down production and qualification costs for adaptable subsonic missile bodies and components by leveraging additive and advanced manufacturing approaches, including additive solid-state deposition, novel casting, and powder bed fusion technologies.
“Industry today is under extreme pressure to produce better products faster while de-risking innovation. ASTRO’s guidance in jump-starting our advanced manufacturing capabilities to fast-track cutting-edge research through production and rigorous testing to deliver real-world solutions is exceptional,” said FSU InSPIRE Executive Director Drew Allen. “This agreement further illustrates our collective dedication to empowering regional industry and alliances, strengthening our national supply chain resilience, and delivering on national security imperatives.”
With technical support from Florida State University InSPIRE, the work will take place in a new, state-of-the-art production laboratory near Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida. ASTRO will coordinate with InSPIRE on testing and evaluation of materials and subsystems, including mechanical, thermal, and aero testing. The collaboration with InSPIRE builds on the region’s growing role as a national centre for manufacturing innovation, supported by Triumph Gulf Coast.
“ASTRO would not have brought this partnership to Northwest Florida without the steadfast support of Florida State University and the transformative investment from Triumph Gulf Coast in InSPIRE,” added Dr. Abdalla R. Nassar, Vice President and General Manager, ASTRO South. “Together, we’re building the collaborative environment necessary to drive faster, more affordable production for our military while driving regional economic growth.“
The Gray Wolf missile system was developed through collaboration between Northrop Grumman and the AFRL Munitions Directorate, now the AFRL Air Warfare Directorate, to minimise per-unit cost. It leverages a flexible, open architecture designed to support a range of payloads and carriage across multiple U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy platforms.
Under DART, advanced and affordable manufacturing processes will be applied in the ASTRO/FSU InSPIRE centre to Gray Wolf and may inform future approaches for other munition systems. These processes include additive manufacturing, casting, and subtractive methods intended to achieve affordable, high-throughput production.
Additional details on scope and milestones are set to be shared as the collaboration advances.
