NATO STO

Tactical missiles are most important for strike-, intercept- and self-defense actions from Air-, Land- and Sea-based platforms. The majority of propulsion systems for tactical missiles are solid rocket engines. Less often, small turbojets and ramjets or ram-rockets are used. Rocket motors with gelled propellant, hybrid rockets and solid fuel ramjets are candidates for future tactical missile propulsion. It is of major importance for NATO and NATO nations to ensure development and supply of such tactical propulsion subsystems on demand with regards to quantity, quality and schedule. In the last decade, all manufacturers of solid rocket motors and related subsystems have experienced issues with availability, continuous supply and quality of raw materials for solid propellants, insulations, charge igniters, etc. A shrinking market and severely tightened regulations with regards to manufacture/processing and use of raw materials (e.g. REACH) are drivers for the chemical industry to question the business case for chemicals needed for solid rocket propulsion. Consequences are cancellations in the product portfolio of chemical companies, downsized and/or discontinuous production processes and increased lead times and price for orders. Sometimes raw materials are available only from nations outside NATO.