X-Bow Systems won certification for end-to-end production at Texas site, a step that could strengthen US solid rocket motor supply chains.
U.S. defense startup X-Bow Systems announced on Wednesday that it has received certification for full production operations at its Texas facility. This is an important step in the Pentagon ’s plan to grow the country’s solid rocket motor supply chain.
This milestone comes at a time when the U.S. military is under pressure to rebuild missile stockpiles because of high demand from conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Iran. The Pentagon has been seeking new suppliers beyond Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies, which have long dominated the rocket motor market. X-Bow, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said it earned the certification by working with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rapid Energetics & Advanced Rocket Manufacturing program.
This program helps develop new technologies to boost U.S. production of solid rocket motors. The certified systems include a large, fixed site for making propellant and a portable production unit built into shipping container-style modules. This portable system can be quickly set up in different locations to support defense production during emergencies or when demand spikes in wartime. The platform is called the Rocket Factory in a Box .
The second system, called Gen-0, is set up at X-Bow’s Texas site. It is meant to shift operations from development to large-scale industrial manufacturing.shows that the U.S. firm is moving from prototyping to high-volume production, which the Pentagon has been urgently seeking as missile use increases around the world. X-Bow is one of several defense startups trying to enter a market long controlled by only a few suppliers.
The company has already received a U.S. Navy contract to develop and testThe Department of Defense has repeatedly warned about weaknesses in the U.S. missile production system. Current manufacturers have had trouble keeping up with demand as U.S. allies receive weapons support and military planners prepare for possible future conflicts. Solid rocket motors are key parts used in missiles, interceptors, and launch systems.
Adding more qualified suppliers is seen as vital to national security and to maintaining strong production over time. The defense firm said its manufacturing systems use its patented Advanced Manufacturing of Solid Propellant technology. The company claims this process is more precise, efficient, and flexible than traditional methods.
“Our vision for production is a few million pounds of solid propellant per year, with options to significantly increase that as we scale to meet national needs,” Jason Hundley, Founder and CEO of X-Bow, said in a statement. “The RE-ARM program is forging advanced technologies for rapid, affordable, flexible, and scalable manufacturing of solid rocket motors in support of national defense, with the goal of expanding and sustaining surge capacity for production of integrated missile capabilities,”Defense officials believe scalable production systems are becoming increasingly important as the U.S. updates its industrial base and prepares for long-term military supply demands.
A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies.
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