Aerospace manufacturing center planned for West El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ARC Aerospace and Defense Systems said Wednesday it will establish a new manufacturing center in West El Paso. The expansion will support U.S. military and national security objectives, the company said.

ARC Aerospace, which is based in El Paso, specializes in developing and manufacturing missile technology, including counter-drone strike systems.

Adelante II: Advanced Manufacturing Center, expected to span 16,500 square feet, will use artificial intelligence-enabled system production, according to the company.

The new facility is expected to bring 28 engineering and manufacturing positions, ARC Aerospace said.

Adelante II will produce technologies like a flight computer, motors and controllers. It will also manufacture a system for the company's counter-drone missile platform for air defense, ARC Aerospace said.

The facility's core operation will be a robotic system doing manufacturing, assembly, inspection and production tasks, the company said.

The company said the manufacturing environment is capable of supporting the Department of War's need for affordable autonomous systems.

"As the nature of warfare continues to evolve, victory will increasingly depend on our nation's ability to rapidly design, manufacture, and field autonomous systems at scale," ARC Aerospace CEO Ashan Choudhuri said. "By integrating artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and digital engineering into every layer of production, we are building a manufacturing capability designed for the era of mass precision and autonomous warfare."

Choudhuri founded the Aerospace Center at the University of Texas at El Paso, according to the ARC Aerospace website.

Initial operations are expected to start in the first quarter of 2027, ARC Aerospace said. Full operations are expected to start during the second or third quarter.

ARC Aerospace has its operations headquarters in El Paso, a test range in Hudspeth County and a facility in Ohio.