The United States develops two new missile engines. The new missiles increase the amount of missiles carried on combat aircraft and are intended to replace "standard" missiles.

Ursa Major has received a contract from the U.S. Department of War to develop the Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) project and the Naval Modular Missile (NMM) engine. (Picture taken from Ursa Major)

[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. Navy continues to promote the research and development of a new generation of air-to-air and ship-based air defense missiles. Defense startup Ursa Major announced on the 5th that it has won two contracts with a total value of US$137 million (approximately NT$4.39 billion) to develop solid rocket motors for the Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) and the Naval Modular Missile (NMM). The two weapons are respectively aimed at increasing the internal bomb load of stealth fighters and strengthening the air defense and interception capabilities of warships. Among them, NMM is planned to replace the "Standard Missile" series of weapons in the future.

The military news website "Defence Blog" reported that the two contracts were for the development of the CAAM engine at US$91 million (approximately NT$2.92 billion) and the R&D of the NMM medium-range engine at US$46 million (approximately NT$1.47 billion). The relevant funds were provided by the Office of the Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of War. "Ursa Major" will use additive manufacturing technology to accelerate the development and mass production preparation of new solid rocket motors.

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Among them, CAAM is a new type of short-range air-to-air missile first announced by the U.S. Navy in August this year. It is mainly used for close-range air combat. It is especially designed for the internal weapon bays of stealth fighters and future ship-based drones. It hopes to increase the number of missiles carried in a limited space and improve the ability of continuous air combat engagement.

Ursa Major will develop an engine with a diameter of approximately 178 mm for CAAM, which is the same diameter as the AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missile. The new engine uses "high packing density grain" technology, which can accommodate more propellant in the same volume and increase the missile's usable propulsion energy.

Another NMM medium-range missile uses an engine with a diameter of about 254 millimeters. Its biggest feature is its quadruple configuration, which can carry four missiles in a single shipboard vertical launch unit. It is similar to the current configuration of the "Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile" (ESSM), which can increase the amount of ammunition carried in the limited launch space of warships. The U.S. Navy hopes that the NMM will achieve full operational capability by fiscal year 2032 and gradually replace the existing "Standard" series of missiles.

It is worth noting that Ursa Major uses industrial-grade 3D printing to produce most of its engine components, hoping to reduce manufacturing complexity and increase output. In the past, the supply of solid rocket motors in the United States was mainly concentrated on Northrop Grumman and L3Harris. As the demand for air defense interceptors and long-range missiles increases, the U.S. Department of Defense is actively supporting new suppliers.

Jason Meredith, president of the Ursa Major solid missile system division, said that the biggest bottleneck in the current missile program is production capacity. The company hopes to use new manufacturing technologies to speed up engine design, testing and qualification verification, and quickly expand mass production after completing certification to meet the U.S. military's future air combat and fleet air defense needs.