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X-Bow completed a redesign of the Mk-72 and Mk-104 Solid Rocket Motors to meet all production requirements in support of the US Navy objective of bringing in alternative suppliers. The effort recently completed with a highly successful Preliminary Design review of both designs leaving X-Bow poised to continue on to static fire and full development of both systems.

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X-Bow announced it has been awarded a production contract from V2X to develop and produce next-generation igniters for solid rocket motors. The contract, with an anticipated total value of over $8.9 million, positions X-Bow as a key partner in strengthening the nation’s industrial base for rocket propulsion systems components, supporting a critical modernization effort for Arm/Fire Devices.

The new igniter will be a form-and-fit replacement for the MK-290, a key component used in many of today’s solid rocket motor programs. The MK-290 igniter is a critical component used in numerous proven systems vital to national defense. X-Bow’s work under this contract aims to address obsolescence and supply chain challenges, ensuring a reliable production source for these critical components. The project includes the development, testing, and qualification of the new igniters prior to production.

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X-Bow announced it has completed installation of its patented Additive Manufacturing of Solid Propellant (AMSP) production system at its Luling, Texas campus and is completing initial operational testing.

This milestone marks a significant step in commissioning the nation’s newest SRM manufacturing facility, including comprehensive checkout tasks such as inert material trials to validate system performance and readiness for scaled production.

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Rocket manufacturer X-Bow Systems has adopted a secure artificial intelligence platform from Lockheed Martin to boost its production capabilities.

Astris AI Factory’s integration into X-Bow’s process will increase solid rocket motor manufacturing by embedding AI-driven process control and data governance across its facilities.

The platform provides a defense-grade digital environment that safeguards sensitive manufacturing data while enabling real-time process optimization and quality assurance.

This setup will allow the company to manage intellectual property and design data in a classified environment, maintaining complete integrity from design to deployment.

X-Bow CEO Jason Hundley described the move as “a game-changer for data governance and production integrity” that would give space for the company to deliver “rapid, affordable solid rocket motors for our customers.”

AI’s Expanding Role in Ammunition AI and digital integration are rapidly transforming how defense contractors produce munitions and propulsion systems.

In July 2025, Los Angeles-based startup Hadrian raised about $260 million to build an AI-enabled manufacturing facility in Arizona that will use digital twins, generative models, and automated lines to scale output on demand.

Divergent Technologies, meanwhile, teamed up with Raytheon in August 2025 to use Divergent Adaptive Production Systems for the digital manufacturing of naval systems.

In Europe, MBDA has deployed predictive AI systems to detect anomalies during warhead assembly.

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X-Bow Launch Systems Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico, was awarded a $191,303,197 firm-fixed-price award for Advanced Integrated Motor Manufacturing. This contract provides for the design, build, and demonstration of advanced solid rocket motor propellant manufacturing capability. Work will be performed at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2029. This contract was awarded through a competitive open broad agency announcement, which received numerous white papers during this period. Foreign Military Sales funds $121,494,248 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. (New Award FA9300-25-C-6015, Broad Agency Announcement FA9300-20-S-0001)

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Why it matters: It’s a pair of smaller defense-tech companies proactively working on problems — munitions production and solid-rocket motor diversity — plaguing the Pentagon.

“It really represents a shift in how the defense industrial base needs to operate,” Maureen Gannon, X-Bow’s chief revenue officer, told Axios.

Driving the news: The companies inked a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the Fed Supernova event last month.

Zoom in: Aeon and X-Bow (pronounced crossbow) are collaborating on the former’s Zeus, a system that packs an explosive punch against people, cover and armor.

They are also exploring other “missile and munition designs” for joint development.

What they’re saying: “Zeus represents the first major advance in tactical weapon systems in decades,” Aeon CEO Naweed Tahmas told Axios. “We’re proud to partner with X-Bow to expand its capability and ensure those on the front line can out-maneuver and win. Together, we will deliver true magazine depth.”

Of particular interest, he added, is arming “the thousands of manned and autonomous platforms coming online every day, from ground vehicles and surface vessels to drones.”

Inside the room: Conversations between Aeon and X-Bow, both in Texas, kicked off months ago. The latter’s energetics campus in Luling will play an important role in the relationship.

Zoom out: The companies made their own, separate headlines this year.

Aeon was named to the Black Flag 100 list and announced work with the Army Applications Laboratory. X-Bow raised $105 million and was fast-tracked by Lockheed Martin as an independent supplier of solid-rocket motors and other services.

August 19th, 2025 was an incredible day as we hosted an exclusive tour of our Luling, Texas energetics campus for guests of Fed Supernova 2025 and the Capital Factory. Link to watch video: https://studio.youtube.com/video/kgeebQPXb2k/edit.

The event offered a firsthand look at our state-of-the-art facility, bringing online up to 3 million pounds of energetics capacity. This is a monumental step forward, not just for X-Bow, but for American manufacturing and national security. We are directly addressing a critical bottleneck in the defense supply chain, enhancing our nation’s ability to respond to threats with the speed and scale required in the 21st century.

In partnership with the U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin, X-Bow Systems secured a $13.9 million Advanced Manufacturing Pathfinder project from the Office of Strategic Capital. This investment, aimed at designing, prototyping, and testing an advanced-manufactured solid rocket motor (SRM) for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), is a key step in strengthening the nation’s SRM industrial base. The project addresses a critical bottleneck in U.S. missile production, leveraging X-Bow’s innovative additive manufacturing techniques to create an alternative supply source. https://prn.to/4oN48De

From Axios and Colin Demarest: Lockheed Martin is fast-tracking X-Bow Systems as a new, independent supplier of solid-rocket motors and other services, the defense upstart’s CEO, Jason Hundley, told Axios.

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/xbow-lockheed-rocket-motors-texas

X-Bow Systems successfully closed its over $105 million Series B funding round. The strategic portion of this crucial funding was led by Lockheed Martin, with additional investment from other key partners. This capital infusion is dedicated to accelerating X-Bow’s innovation efforts, expanding its production capacity, and delivering state-of-the-art defense technologies at speed and scale, solidifying its role as a critical independent supplier within the defense industrial base in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

X-Bow announced the formation of its Strategic Advisory Board, which will provide strategic counsel and support the company’s continued growth and maturation. The addition of former government and military leaders underscores X-Bow’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) and its vital mission. The company’s strategic advisors will further deepen X-Bow’s understanding of DoD and global requirements and demands and strengthen its ability to deliver on the needs of the mission and the defense industrial base.

Modification to an existing contract for changes to specifications for additive manufacturing solid rocket motor propellant.

X-Bow received an additional $7 million contract to implement cutting-edge technology at the NSWC Indian Head facility. This contract specifically focuses on further enhancing the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of energetics production processes, directly supporting national defense priorities and the modernization of the U.S. Navy’s energetics industrial base.

X-Bow announced the grand opening of its new office in Indian Head, Maryland, reinforcing its commitment to supporting national defense priorities and strengthening its partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), the Navy’s premier facility for energetics and munitions.

The increase is an addition to the $64 million awarded to X-Bow in 2023 to expand production capacity of the solid rocket motor industrial base. It’s an expansion of its contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This increase reinforces X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States. Picture: Adele Ratcliff (right), Director of the Department of Defense (DoD)’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, and Max Vozoff, CTO of X-Bow, discuss the recent expansion of their DoD contract for hypersonic solid rocket motor development. This increase will bolster U.S. defense readiness by expanding production capacity and strengthening the domestic supply chain. (Source: X-Bow)

X-Bow was awarded five initial contracts, totaling $60 million, for Phase 1 design, development, and long-lead procurement. This work is aimed at modernizing and automating various energetics manufacturing capabilities at NSWC IHD, forming a key part of the U.S. Navy’s broader $2.7 billion, 15-year modernization plan for the facility.

X-Bow conducted the third successful flight of its Bolt Rocket (Commercial Mission-1 or CM-1), featuring the 34-inch Ballesta-34 SRM (XB-32) – the largest Advanced Manufactured Solid Propellant (AMSP) motor ever flown. This critical national security mission, sponsored by DIU and the US Army SMDC, validated the scalability and effectiveness of X-Bow’s approach to affordable, large-scale production of SRMs using additively manufactured energetics.

Development of the Mk 72 booster solid rocket motor for the Navy’s Standard Missiles.

Development and hot-fire testing of a prototype solid rocket motor for the Navy’s Standard Missile program.

Continued development of advanced, fully energetic advanced manufacturing capability (“Gen-0”) for solid rocket motors.

Focus on maturing X-Bow into a viable supplier of tactical solid rocket motors.

Contract to provide large solid rocket motors for U.S. Navy and Army hypersonic weapon systems.

X-Bow successfully completed the second launch of its Bolt Rocket (XL-2B mission) under the Responsive Development Experiment (ReDX) program for Los Alamos National Laboratory. This flight further validated X-Bow’s modular launch vehicle and motor designs in a rapid follow-on demonstration, aiming for cost-effective, high-cadence access for national security purposes.

X-Bow finalized a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (P3) agreement with Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD). This agreement establishes a long-term framework for collaboration, leveraging NSWC IHD’s capabilities and X-Bow’s advanced manufacturing expertise for future energetics programs and solid rocket motor development.

Funding for strategic capabilities, supported by government, private investment, and SBIR matching.

X-Bow conducted the first successful launch of its Bolt Rocket (XL-2 mission) carrying a Payload Test Vehicle for the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This mission demonstrated X-Bow’s modular boost rocket capabilities and ushered in new competition and technology for the solid rocket motor industrial base.

Likely a phase of the RE-ARM effort focused on maturing propellant formulations and additive manufacturing systems.

Original contract for a low-cost advanced manufacturing approach to solid rocket motors, leading to a simulated-energetics factory demonstration.

Focused on developing and demonstrating additively manufactured solid rocket motors via direct-extrusion printing.

Continued development of additive manufacturing for solid propellant in small launch vehicles.

Initial funding for infusing advanced manufacturing methods to produce small launch vehicles.