The U.S. Navy has awarded Ursa Major two contracts worth $137 million combined to develop and qualify tactical solid rocket motors for the Compact Air-to-Air Missile (CAAM) and Naval Modular Missile (NMM) programs. Both motors are being built around Lynx, the company’s manufacturing approach that pairs expanded energetics production with additive manufacturing.
| Program | Motor spec |
|---|---|
| CAAM (air-launched) | 7-inch (178 mm), Highly Loaded Grain |
| NMM (medium-range, ship-launched) | 10-inch (254 mm), designed for high-rate production |
The CAAM motor is meant to hit performance targets inside a tight volume at low unit cost, and Ursa Major says it’s using the same manufacturing methods it plans for full production rather than a separate prototype process. The NMM motor is being designed for compatibility with existing Navy shipboard launch systems, alongside high-rate output.
This builds on two earlier, smaller Navy awards. In July, the Navy gave Ursa Major $10 million to push its MK 104 design through critical design review and static fire testing for the Standard Missile family. In February, the company wrapped a $25 million cost-share pathfinder program with the Navy and the Office of Strategic Capital, static-firing a 10-inch Highly Loaded Grain motor.
Jason Meredith, who was just named Ursa Major’s president, framed the deal around a capacity problem rather than a technology one: “Production is the bottleneck in missile programs right now, and that’s the part we’ve been building for.” Neither the contract announcement nor Ursa Major has published unit cost, delivery dates, or motor count targets for either program.