America's Rocket Renaissance: New Indiana Plant to Fuel National Security

BLOOMFIELD, IN – February 20, 2026 – Amidst rolling Indiana farmland, a groundbreaking ceremony today marked a pivotal step in addressing one of America’s most pressing national security challenges. Prometheus Energetics, a strategic joint venture between U.S. defense firm Kratos and Israeli technology leader RAFAEL, officially began construction on a sprawling solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturing campus, a project designed to close a dangerous gap in the nation's defense industrial base.

The ceremony, attended by senior government leaders and state officials, signals the full-scale launch of a plan to restore domestic production of energetics—the essential propellants for missiles and rockets. The facility is not just another factory; it represents a deliberate effort to reverse decades of industrial decline and rebuild a resilient supply chain for the munitions that underpin U.S. military readiness.

Addressing a Critical Security Vulnerability

The United States is facing a severe shortage in its ability to produce solid rocket motors. Since the end of the Cold War, the domestic SRM industrial base has atrophied dramatically, consolidating from over a dozen major manufacturers to effectively just two. This has created critical bottlenecks, extended lead times for essential weapons, and left the nation vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

Defense Department reports and Government Accountability Office studies have repeatedly flagged this fragility as a top concern. The limited capacity directly impacts the ability to replenish munition stockpiles—a lesson driven home by the high consumption rates seen in recent global conflicts—and threatens the development of next-generation systems, including hypersonic weapons and the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. The surging demand for systems like the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and Patriot missiles has stretched the existing industrial base to its breaking point.

Prometheus Energetics was established specifically to tackle this challenge. "Today's groundbreaking represents far more than the start of construction," said Dan Merenda, Chief Operating Officer of Prometheus Energetics. "It marks the moment when a known vulnerability in America's solid rocket motor supply chain begins to be closed."

A Transatlantic Partnership Powers Production

The driving force behind this initiative is the unique synergy between Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems. The two companies have jointly committed up to $175 million in private capital to fund the new campus, a significant investment demonstrating their commitment to addressing the production shortfall without waiting for government contracts to materialize.

RAFAEL brings decades of combat-proven expertise in energetics, honed through the development and sustainment of world-renowned air defense systems like Iron Dome and David's Sling. This partnership involves a crucial technology transfer, allowing the new Indiana facility to adopt RAFAEL's vertically integrated and certified manufacturing processes, dramatically accelerating the path to producing high-performance, reliable SRMs.

Kratos contributes its extensive experience in U.S. production, particularly in advanced areas like hypersonics, ballistic missile targets, and sub-orbital research vehicles. The company's role ensures the venture is deeply integrated into the American defense ecosystem. "The establishment of Prometheus is a strategic step in strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base," said Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos. "Breaking ground on this campus reflects our shared commitment with RAFAEL to invest our own dollars to rapidly stand up trusted, domestic production capacity."

This sentiment was echoed by his Israeli counterpart. "This groundbreaking advances our strategic partnership with Kratos and will ensure reliable access to advanced, combat-proven energetics for U.S. and allied forces," stated Yoav Tourgeman, CEO and President of Rafael.

Indiana at the Center of an Industrial Renaissance

The 600-acre campus in Bloomfield is set to become a cornerstone of Indiana's growing defense manufacturing sector. The facility will be the anchor tenant for the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation's (ACMI) new National Security Industrial Hub, an ecosystem designed to co-locate and support companies vital to national security.

Prometheus plans to operate four distinct solid rocket motor production lines, with an initial capacity to deliver up to 800 tons of energetics annually, with significant room for future expansion. This scale is intended to make Prometheus a true "merchant supplier," capable of providing SRMs to multiple prime contractors and government programs, thereby fostering competition and resilience in a market long dominated by a duopoly.

The project is also a major economic boon for the region, promising to create numerous high-skilled manufacturing jobs in Greene County. The influx of investment and the development of a specialized workforce are expected to spur broader economic growth, positioning the area as a key node in the revitalization of American industrial might.

From Groundbreaking to Full-Scale Production

With construction now officially underway, Prometheus Energetics is on a clear path toward operation. The phased development will see the construction of the production facilities, followed by a rigorous process to certify RAFAEL's manufacturing techniques for U.S. programs. The company projects that the first solid rocket motors will roll off the production line in 2027.

By leveraging proven technology and a substantial private investment, the venture aims to deliver on its promise of providing scalable production with speed and affordability. The goal is to ensure that when the U.S. and its allies need critical munitions, readiness is not just a promise but a certainty backed by a robust and responsive industrial base. In an era of increasingly complex global threats, the Bloomfield campus represents a tangible step toward restoring American industrial might, bringing speed, resilience, and proven capability back to the U.S. defense industrial base.