L3Harris and Naval Air Warfare Center Sign Multi-Year Tomahawk Pact

L3Harris Technologies (LHX ) and the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake have signed a multi-year agreement to manufacture critical missile components, the company said in a newsroom announcement dated September 21, 2026. L3Harris characterized the arrangement as a public-private partnership that addresses rising capacity needs for key munitions, including Raytheon’s Tomahawk cruise missile. Raytheon is an RTX business.

“L3Harris is committed to continuing high-quality propulsion production to support both ongoing military operations and future combat needs,” said Scott Alexander, President, Propulsion Systems, Missile Solutions, L3Harris. “Collaborating with our U.S. Navy partners strengthens the supply chain, allowing us to expand our manufacturing capabilities to fulfill urgent national security mission requirements.”

Ephraim Washburn, Acting Director for Energetics at NAWCWD, said the division is committed to serving as an active and contributing member of the Organic Industrial Base for Energetics for the U.S. Navy, and that working with industrial partners in that capacity provides increased capability and capacity to meet the needs of warfighters.

Three Decades of Tomahawk Component Work

L3Harris said it has supported Tomahawk production for more than 30 years and specializes in producing a variety of key components for the missile, including the Mk 135 solid propellant booster and the blast-fragmentation warhead.

The company’s Tactical Tomahawk capability page describes the BGM-109 Tomahawk as an all-weather, long-range, land-attack, subsonic cruise missile launched from surface ships and submarines. According to that documentation, the missile can loiter over a target area for some hours and can be reprogrammed while in flight to strike alternate targets. At launch, an L3Harris-produced Mk 135 solid propellant booster propels the missile until a small turbofan engine takes over for the cruise portion of flight. L3Harris also loads the 1,000-pound-class WDU-36/B blast fragmentation warhead with a PBXN-107 explosive, according to the company.

Navy Tomahawk Award and Earlier Partnerships

The China Lake agreement follows an August 17, 2026 U.S. Navy announcement that the Department of the Navy had awarded Raytheon a contract valued at $22.9 billion to accelerate production of the Tomahawk missile. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced the award in Washington.

“This landmark $22.9 billion investment accelerates the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to our warfighters at unprecedented speed,” Cao said, adding that the Department is using every available tool to meet the demands of current operations while working with industry to expand the capacity of the munitions industrial base. The Navy said that reducing procurement lead times under the contract directly supports the Department of War’s rapid capability fielding goals, and that the investment enables expanded workforce capacity, increased manufacturing throughput and stronger supply chains.

Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, said RTX answered the Department’s challenge to industry to expand munitions production and capacity. The award was executed under the strategic direction of PAE Munitions, led by Van Hendrey, according to the Navy. The Navy described PAE Munitions as the Department of the Navy organization responsible for the development, procurement and delivery of naval munitions and strike capabilities, unifying key weapons programs and aligning the weapons industrial base to accelerate production and increase capacity.

The September 21 release also noted that L3Harris previously announced a similar public-private partnership with Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division covering increased production of Mk 104 solid dual thrust rocket motors that provide second-stage propulsion for Raytheon’s Standard Missile program.

That earlier pact, announced January 8, 2024, paired Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, with NSWC Indian Head Division under a ten-year agreement to increase production of solid rocket motors for key national defense programs. The 2024 release described the agreement as establishing a pathway for NSWC Indian Head to become a qualified partner with Aerojet Rocketdyne to perform certain motor manufacturing processes. Ross Niebergall, President of Aerojet Rocketdyne, said at the time that the agreement offered a supply chain solution for the nation’s solid rocket motor production needs while increasing production capability to meet growing demand. Capt. Steve Duba, Commanding Officer of NSWC IHD, and Ashley Johnson, Technical Director of NSWC IHD, also issued statements on the signing. The release noted that Aerojet Rocketdyne has provided propulsion to the United States and its allies for more than 80 years.

On January 13, 2026, L3Harris announced what it called a first-of-its-kind proposed partnership with the Department of War to significantly increase capacity to build solid rocket motors that power U.S. and allied missiles. Under the announced terms, the DoW would invest in L3Harris’ Missile Solutions business through a $1 billion convertible preferred security that would automatically convert into common equity upon an initial public offering. L3Harris said it intends to pursue an IPO of the Missile Solutions business in the second half of 2026 and will retain a controlling interest following the transactions.

The company said the DoW investment, along with sustained long-term demand, will support Missile Solutions’ rapid expansion of capacity for the DoW’s critical missile programs, such as PAC-3, THAAD, Tomahawk and Standard Missile. L3Harris created the Missile Solutions business following its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, combining capabilities in support of offensive and defensive missile systems. Chairman and CEO Christopher Kubasik said the planned company is intended to serve as a key partner to the DoW. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor and Vinson & Elkins LLP acted as legal advisor to L3Harris on the proposed transaction.