Albany Engineered Composites Secures $21.2 Million Contract for Hypersonic and Rocket Motor Thermal Protection
U.S. government-backed programme will support scalable carbon-carbon composite manufacturing and domestic production infrastructure
Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International Corp., has announced that its AEC Advanced Programs, Inc. business has received a new $21.2 million contract under the U.S. government’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme for Strengthening America’s Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base (SAMDIB). The contract covers a 30-month period of performance and supports manufacturing development for carbon-carbon composite thermal protection systems.
The award, issued through the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Rock Island and Cornerstone Other Transaction Authority (OTA), focuses on thermal protection systems (TPS) for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors (SRM). The programme is intended to advance scalable manufacturing capabilities for extreme-environment defence applications.
Programme targets carbon-carbon composite production
Albany will combine its experience in advanced composite manufacturing with carbon-carbon densification capabilities. The company’s manufacturing technologies include 3D-woven, near-net-shape preforms and Resin Transfer Molding (RTM).
“Hypersonic systems and solid rocket motors place extraordinary demands on the material systems used and the manufacturing processes required to produce them,” said Chris Stone, president of Albany Engineered Composites. “This award brings together Albany’s advanced composite expertise and production-focused capabilities to address an important challenge for the U.S. defense industrial base: establishing the manufacturing capacity required to support next-generation hypersonic and solid rocket motor systems at scale.”
The programme will focus on establishing a vertically integrated production facility for carbon-carbon composite manufacturing. The facility is intended to create domestic industrial base capacity for the continued development and scalable production of cost-effective thermal protection solutions for hypersonic weapons and SRMs.
Manufacturing infrastructure included in programme
The contract covers several activities required to establish the production infrastructure, including:
- Engineering studies
- Facility planning
- Supplier selection
- Procurement of key manufacturing equipment
- Installation of key manufacturing equipment
- Development of infrastructure required for carbon-carbon composite thermal protection system production
“Production readiness is a critical element of both hypersonic and solid rocket motor missions,” said Brent Stevenson, vice president, emerging markets & technology at Albany Engineered Composites. “Albany’s proven experience in 3D-woven near-net-shape composite preforms and RTM provides a strong foundation for advancing scalable manufacturing solutions for these critical missions.”
Focus on extreme-environment applications
The programme expands Albany’s capabilities for extreme-environment applications by combining advanced materials technology with manufacturing infrastructure and production engineering.
Hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors operate in demanding aerospace and defence environments, requiring thermal protection systems capable of withstanding extreme conditions while meeting cost objectives and supporting scalable production.
Through the IBAS effort, Albany will apply its advanced composite manufacturing capabilities toward strengthening the U.S. industrial base and developing vertically integrated infrastructure for future hypersonic and SRM production.
The $21.2 million award also supports the expansion of domestic manufacturing capabilities for carbon-carbon composite thermal protection systems used in aerospace and defence applications.