Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN), today announced the expansion of its hypersonic, solid rocket motor and space capabilities through AEC Advanced Programs, Inc. (AEC-AP), a wholly owned subsidiary established in 2021 to develop the carbon-carbon manufacturing capabilities required for advanced high temperature, extreme environment applications. The AEC-AP facility is located in Rochester, New Hampshire, adjacent to the Albany Engineered Composites’ headquarters and research and development (R&D) operations.
Since establishing AEC-AP, Albany has invested more than $36 million in dedicated facilities, equipment and independent research and development (IRAD) to build vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities for advanced composite thermal protection systems (TPS) and other hypersonic, solid rocket motor and space hardware. This investment is complemented by a $21.2 million, 30-month U.S. government Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) contract awarded in September to advance carbon-carbon composite TPS for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors. The funding will also support a recently announced teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin to pursue scalable production of next-generation U.S. hypersonic systems, including hypersonic glide body applications.
“Hypersonic, solid rocket motor and space systems require advanced materials and the ability to manufacture complex hardware at scale,” said Chris Stone, president of Albany Engineered Composites. “Building on the investments we have already made, our industry-leading LEAP program industrialization experience and both our recent IBAS contract award and Lockheed Martin partnership, AEC Advanced Programs provides vertically integrated, scalable capabilities for high-temperature composites for our customers and the U.S. industrial base.”
The approximately 70,000-square-foot AEC-AP facility supports full-scale hypersonic, solid rocket motor and space hardware production, including carbon-carbon composites. Purpose-built equipment and planned densification, machining and inspection capabilities will enable expansion as program requirements and production volumes grow.
“Building this capability has been a deliberate, long-term investment,” said Brent Stevenson, vice president, emerging markets and technology at Albany Engineered Composites. “The combination of our industry leading near net shape 3D-woven technology, associated design and simulation capabilities, our Rochester infrastructure, new IBAS programs and our Lockheed Martin collaboration gives us a strong foundation to support the transition of hypersonic, solid rocket motor and space technologies into production.”
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About Albany Engineered Composites
Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN), designs and manufactures advanced engineered composite components for engine and airframe applications in commercial and military aircraft, missiles and unmanned vehicles. Albany’s specialty composite solutions enable current and next-generation aircraft to perform better while being more fuel efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.
About Albany International Corp.
Albany is a leading materials science developer and manufacturer of engineered components, using advanced materials processing and automation capabilities, with two core businesses:
- Machine Clothing is the world’s leading producer of custom-designed consumable belts, essential for the manufacture of paper, paperboard, tissue, and towel, as well as pulp, non-wovens and a variety of other industrial applications.
- Albany Engineered Composites is a growing designer and manufacturer of advanced materials-based engineered components for demanding aerospace applications, supporting both commercial and military platforms.
Albany International is headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, operates 25 facilities in 12 countries, employs approximately 5,700 people worldwide and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol AIN). Additional information about the Company and its products and services can be found at www.albint.com.
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