Aug 5 (Reuters) - Defense technology startup Anduril

Industries said on Tuesday it has become the third supplier of

solid rocket motors (SRMs) to the United States, breaking a

decades-long duopoly and addressing a critical bottleneck in

missile production as global conflicts drive up demand.

Rising geopolitical tensions - including the Russia-Ukraine

war and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East - have fueled a

global surge in demand for munitions, prompting militaries to

replenish and expand their stockpiles. Until now, only L3Harris

Technologies ( LHX ) and Northrop Grumman ( NOC ) have

manufactured SRMs at scale in the U.S.

Anduril said it has opened a full-rate SRM manufacturing

facility in McHenry, Mississippi, which now employs more than

100 workers, up from 40 in early 2024. The company has already

test-fired over 700 motors and aims to produce 6,000 tactical

motors annually by the end of 2026.

The $75 million site incorporates automation and digital

systems to streamline rocket motor production, a process the

company says has seen minimal innovation over the years.

The company is using a bladeless high-speed mixer and a

custom aluminum-lithium fuel blend, it claims can improve

missile range by up to 40%.

Anduril, best known for its autonomous drones and AI-driven

defense systems, was recently selected by the U.S. Army to

develop a new 4.75-inch SRM for long-range precision artillery.

In June, Anduril had raised $2.5 billion, giving it a

valuation of $30.5 billion.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington and Anshuman Tripathy in

Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid

)