SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 28, 2009 – Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, announced the milestone shipment of its 5,000th MK 104 Dual Thrust Rocket Motor (DTRM) to Raytheon Missile Systems and the U.S. Navy. The event was commemorated today at a ceremony held in Camden, Ark. The MK 104 DTRM provides propulsion for Raytheon's (NYSE: RTN) Standard Missile 2 (SM-2), the Navy's primary surface-to-air air defense weapon. SM-2 is an integral part of the AEGIS Weapon System aboard Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The MK 104 DTRM also is used as second stage propulsion for the Navy’s newest defense weapon, the Extended Range Active Missile (SM-6) which will provide extended range anti-air warfare capability over both sea and land. The MK 104 also is utilized on the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) for ballistic missile defense missions.
Aerojet has manufactured the MK 104 DTRM since 1987 at its Camden, Ark. facility. The Standard Missile family of products, which also include the MK 72 booster and MK 125 warhead, are noteworthy elements of Aerojet’s industry-leading tactical propulsion portfolio and generate significant employment opportunities in the Camden area.
“The MK 104 is still the highest performing rocket motor in the Navy inventory. This reliable motor has been the cornerstone for the evolution of Standard Missile for the past decade and will continue to be an important part of our success in the future,” said Captain Timothy A. Batzler, major program manager for Surface Ship Weapons within the Program Executive Office, Integrated Weapons Systems (PEO IWS) Office. The PEO IWS is affiliated with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), which manages surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems, and coordinates Navy Open Architecture across ship platforms.
Aerojet’s Vice President of Tactical Propulsion Programs, John Myers, said, “Achieving the 5,000th delivery milestone is a testament to the commitment and hard work of Aerojet employees. We take great pride in this accomplishment and look forward to continuing to provide the highest level of performance and quality for Standard Missile and the Navy.”
Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at http://www.Aerojet.com and http://www.GenCorp.com.
