Raytheon, Aerojet Rocketdyne Exchange Blame Over Rocket Motor Quality

Raytheon has accused Aerojet Rocketdyne of decreased quality in the rocket motors it supplies for several major product lines, reports Defense One.

Aerojet supplies motors for weapons including the SM-3, SM-6 and Stinger surface-to-air missiles.

The company said that while Aerojet has a "quality product," officials said that the firm was“distracted,” and in need of “some adult supervision.” The quality issues were attributed to some degree to extreme growth.

An Aerojet spokesperson admitted the company experienced "disruption to our supplies of certain materials and components, and, like many other companies in our industry, we have been impacted by a highly competitive labor market, which is affecting our rate of hiring for skilled workers."

To address these issues, the company was expanding its facilities, implementing improved manufacturing processes and working to increase its workforce, officials said.