El Paso Makes: The Future of Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

West Texas offers aerospace and defense manufacturers four key advantages: access to cutting-edge applied research in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing; a young and skilled workforce; unparalleled test spaces; and a public and private sector committed to each organization’s success. Not to mention, West Texas is also a beautiful place to live.

The area’s desert environment offers ideal flight test conditions: a stable, mild climate and a dry, clear atmosphere. The region’s aerospace and defense industries matured around two major military installations: White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and Fort Bliss. WSMR has over 4,000 square miles of surface-to-space airspace, the nation’s largest open-air test range. It is the only airspace in the continental U.S. that is not controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). WSMR has direct control over the airspace and commercial flights are not allowed through its airspace. This tightly controlled airspace is perfect for horizontal and vertical flight testing.

The region is also home to Fort Bliss, one of the military’s most significant power projection platforms responsible for the training, sustainment, mobilization, and deployment of joint team members to conduct global, full-spectrum operations in support of the national military strategy. Fort Bliss is home to the 1st Armored Division, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and Joint Modernization Command. Fort Bliss also transitions approximately 19,000 soldiers a year into civilian life, representing a significant workforce talent pipeline for aerospace and defense manufacturing.

Furthermore, the region’s suitability for air testing and the presence of large military installations have attracted the growing commercial space sector, including two significant spaceports and prominent industry leaders.

The low population densities of the rural portions of the Paso del Norte region have attracted Blue Origin to this region where its spaceport in Culberson County, Texas, is used to launch its New Shepherd and New Glenn rockets. This facility is also used as a test stand for rocket development projects. Spaceport America in Sierra County, New Mexico, boasts Virgin Galactic as its anchor tenant, along with HAPS Mobile/AeroVinronment, UP Aerospace, and SpinLaunch. Spaceport America has agreements with WSMR that allows access to the WSMR test site airspace. An additional 2,000 square feet of airspace through an agreement with the FAA is also accessible.

The Aerospace Center and the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have established research preeminence in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing. The unique and complementary research capabilities of these institutions are available to support the growth and development of West Texas manufacturers through El Paso Makes.

The Aerospace Center and the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at UTEP are national leaders in expanding the aerospace and defense workforce and arming them with the skills they need to quickly find employment. Student classroom learning is integrated with industry-aligned skills development earned while working at these two Centers. Over the last decade, the Aerospace Center and W.M. Keck Center have placed more than 1,000 engineering graduates in high-paying careers in the aerospace and defense industry with employers like NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Blue Origin. The Centers and their partners are expanding on their success in developing a talent platform for engineers to also include technicians whose skillsets are seen as highly adaptable as technology continues to evolve.

This talent platform taps the abundant and young workforce eager for new opportunities. The region has a median age of 35 and close to 40% of the population is under the age of 25. Nationally, 32% of aerospace and defense manufacturing workers are 55 years or older, compared to 24% in Paso del Norte. With a young workforce and investments in career development, the region expects to yield a greater return due to the anticipated longevity in the local workforce.

Our region’s manufacturers are nimble and resilient and have expertise in precision machining, tool and die and plastic injection molding, additive manufacturing, electronic components, automation and robotics, and research and development. El Paso Makes works with local manufacturers to reskill and retool for aerospace and defense markets and to connect them to new customers.