September 8th, 2026
From: Maryland Governor’s Office
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Moore today delivered remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Northrop Grumman’s new 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center within its Elkton manufacturing and testing facility. The expansion represents an over $100 million investment by Northrop Grumman in Maryland, and supports about 250 high-skilled, high-paying engineering jobs in Cecil County.
“Maryland is the best place to build and hire. That’s why we’re proud to have important partners, like Northrop Grumman, who are choosing Maryland – because of everything our state has to offer,” said Gov. Moore. “Our administration is investing in infrastructure and workforce development to attract major players, lead the nation in innovation, and build opportunities to continue to drive our state forward. We look forward to continuing to work with Northrop Grumman as they serve our nation’s service members.”
Northrop Grumman is one of Maryland’s top employers and revenue generators, employing over 15,000 employees and generating $9.7 billion in economic impact for the state in 2025 alone. The company operates six major facilities throughout the state in Linthicum, Elkton, Annapolis, Sykesville, Patuxent River, and Hanover.
“The Propulsion Innovation Center is a critical investment in advanced propulsion that expands the capacity and resilience of the nation’s SRM industrial base,” said Jenna Paukstis, Vice President and General Manager, Weapon Systems, Northrop Grumman. “By bringing more engineers and manufacturing capability online in Elkton, this facility accelerates delivery of survivable, solid and air-breathing hypersonic and tactical missile propulsion solutions to the warfighter.”
Prior to his remarks, Governor Moore toured facilities around Northrop Grumman’s broader Elkton site, which specializes in developing, manufacturing, and testing advanced propulsion systems like rocket motors with cutting edge flight range and reliability. During the tour, Governor Moore received a briefing from Northrop Grumman’s leadership about how the company’s Elkton site contributes to the expansion of Maryland’s world-class aerospace and defense sector.
Governor Moore also learned how the company’s investments in Cecil County help increase its capacity to meet U.S. and allied defense program needs as demand for hypersonic air-breathing, solid rocket motor (SRM) propulsion, and critical munitions production continues to increase. With the new Propulsion Innovation Center fully operational, SRM design and manufacturing capacity will grow at the Elkton site by 25% and support an over 30% staffing increase. The State of Maryland has awarded $14.1 million in economic development incentives to support continued development of the Elkton site since 2018.
The site’s expansion symbolizes another milestone in the Moore-Miller Administration’s efforts to grow its lighthouse industries, strengthen the state’s economy, and create opportunities for Maryland communities to benefit from industries shaping the future. Maryland’s aerospace and defense industry encompasses a network of over 10,000 businesses, sustaining over 107,000 private-sector jobs with an average salary of over $144,000.
