On April 27, 2026, the Pentagon released a list of their contracts totaling to $2.2 billion in awards. Among those awards was a $48,994,134 “cost-no-fee indefinite-delivery contract” to Auburn University for engineering research and development that will support the Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Command on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
This comes eight weeks after the Department of Defense announced Auburn as a potential partner institution and a year after Auburn received $11.4 million in funding for a space defense project through the Missile Defense Agency.
The Aviation and Missile Command is part of a larger company, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM AvMC). DEVCOM AvMC is a civilian organization that supports the Army through research, engineering services and development for the Army’s missile and aviation programs. Rocket City is made up of 75% private contract jobs regarding research and development, engineering services, aerospace manufacturing and ship and boat building. Redstone Arsenal houses almost 150,000 individuals in these areas…