ACMI Breaks Ground on $250M Maryland Defense Manufacturing Hub

A new defense manufacturing hub aimed at expanding US munitions production and technology development is taking shape in southern Maryland.

The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) has broken ground on the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub, a project expected to attract more than $250 million in combined government and private-sector investment focused on advanced energetics and defense manufacturing.

Located near the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), the facility is designed to bring together defense companies, research institutions, and government organizations working on next-generation munitions and propulsion technologies.

Plans call for multiple buildings dedicated to defense technology development and manufacturing, with work centered on eight priority areas, including energetics for uncrewed systems, advanced propulsion, manufacturing automation, and other technologies tied to the US munitions industrial base.

ACMI said the project is backed by an initial $50-million award from NSWC IHD and is expected to generate more than $200 million in additional private investment as development progresses.

First operations are expected to begin in 2027 following phased construction.

Maryland has attracted several defense-related investments and programs in recent years. 

In 2024, HII’s Enlighten division opened a new facility in the state to expand data analysis support for the US military.

That same year, the US Space Force selected Fort Detrick as the permanent site for training personnel responsible for managing military satellite communications networks. The future training center will feature real-time mission monitoring technologies and high-fidelity simulators.

Earlier, in 2023, Northrop Grumman opened a Hypersonic Capability Center in Elkton to support production of ramjet and scramjet engines for hypersonic missile programs.