Ursa Major wraps up SRM manufacturing project with USN

A static fire test of the 10-in SRM developed by Ursa Major through the SRM Manufacturing Pathfinder Program with the US Navy and Office of Strategic Capital (Ursa Major)

Ursa Major has announced the completion of the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Manufacturing Pathfinder Program in collaboration with the US Navy (USN) and Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). “The cost-share programme concluded on schedule in February 2026,” the company said in a 7 July statement.

The OSC and USN awarded Ursa Major a USD12.5 million joint investment contract, with the company providing another USD12.5 million, according to an Ursa Major statement in September 2024 announcing the project.

“The company designed, manufactured, and successfully static-fired an HLG [highly loaded grain] 10-in SRM prototype” and “developed and characterised a proprietary propellant for the motor”, the July statement said.

“The motor met all performance objectives and burn duration requirements, achieving a technical and manufacturing foundation for future US Navy systems that require a 10-in diameter SRM,” the statement added.

SRM development

Ursa Major has been developing SRM capabilities for the last five or six years and made significant progress prior to the pathfinder contract, Jason Meredith, president for Solid Motor Systems at Ursa Major, told Janes on 8 July.

This included the completion of design, development, and manufacturing work on motors in the 2–in to 7–in diameter classes, he said.

When the contract began, “10-in felt like a good next step … to continue to advance what we were doing”, Meredith said, adding that “there are a number of missile systems that are in that 10-in diameter class”.