Northrop stated that the HCC is dedicated to large-scale air-breathing propulsion manufacturing in Maryland. The facility will concentrate on the low-cost production of hypersonic engine systems to support U.S. Pentagon’s programs to create long-range, rapid-response capabilities. 

This investment will carry the U.S. beyond building and demonstrating propulsion prototype steps to large-scale manufacturing. The U.S. Air Force will use the HCC’s work to develop a next-generation aerial munition that targets high-value assets in contested environments as part of its ongoing Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) programme.