HUNTSVILLE — Answering a critical need for the nation’s missile defense, Aerojet Rocketdyne recently completed its 1,000th delivery of key proponents for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

In a news release, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, said it delivered a Huntsville-made solid rocket booster motor and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (LDACS)

The ahead-of-schedule delivery to Lockheed Martin demonstrates Aerojet Rocketdyne’s long-standing ability to provide trusted propulsion and precision systems for one of the nation’s primary defensive weapons against short, medium and intermediate-range missiles, the company said.

“The Aerojet Rocketdyne-powered THAAD serves a critical need for the military, safeguarding our nation, allies and infrastructure from would-be missile attacks from those who wish to do us harm,” said Ross Niebergall, president, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris. “Our focus remains on continued performance excellence to provide reliable propulsion our customers can count on.”

The THAAD weapon system is a land-based component of the Missile Defense Agency’s Missile Defense System. Since production began, the combat-proven system has had a 100% success rate in missile defense tests — 16 intercepts in 16 tests. THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Huntsville and its site in Camden, Ark., produce THAAD’s solid rocket boost motor.

LDACS, the highly responsive thruster system, which keeps THAAD on target during the last stages of an intercept, is produced at the company’s facility in Los Angeles.