The double agreement between Avio in the United States with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon recalls the construction of a production site that the Colleferro company specializing in space launchers wants to develop to enter the American defense market. While waiting for the site to take shape with the start of work scheduled for next year and completion in 2028, Avio has signed a non-binding term sheet with Lockheed Martin granting it preferential access to a portion of Avio’s US factory production capacity, making it able to meet growing demand and, at the same time, increasing production capacity and reliability of the US supply chain for engines destined for tactical and strategic products.
The parties, according to a note, will soon negotiate a strategic cooperation agreement with the aim of guaranteeing a stable and efficient supply of high-performance propulsion systems. Investment in a new factory in the United States is a key element of the missile launcher and booster group’s 10-year industrial strategy.
A similar agreement was signed between Avio and Raytheon. This strategic partnership is a follow-up to the existing cooperation between the two companies, starting with the signing of a contract in July 2024 regarding the preliminary engineering activities carried out on the Mk104 engine and continuing with the current purchase order to support the project up to the Critical Design Review stage and for the purchase of materials with long qualification lead times.
The new Avio USA plant «will allow us to bring our proven experience in the field of compact drives to the United States, contributing to innovation and the development of strategic industrial supply chains – said Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo.
With growing activity in the US, Equita Sim analysts have upgraded their rating to “Buy” as it “determines a shift in the valuation paradigm”.
