Firehawk Aerospace, a defense technology company specializing in advanced energetics and propulsion, has announced an agreement to acquire a DCMA-rated rocket system integration facility in Crawford, Mississippi. The expansion is aimed at increasing U.S. rocket manufacturing capacity and supporting full-rate production of end-to-end rocket systems.
The transaction includes the assumption of the facility structure and a 20-year lease covering 636 acres. According to the company, the site will play a central role in scaling rocket system integration as part of a broader, multi-state manufacturing strategy.
“This acquisition strengthens Firehawk’s ability to address one of the nation’s most urgent defense challenges: rebuilding munition inventories that have been drawn down faster than they can be replaced,” said Will Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of Firehawk.
“While the current industrial base is built to produce thousands of rockets per year, we are building this site. We are designing for throughput measured in thousands per month, not years.” Edwards added.
Firehawk’s US expansion
Firehawk said Mississippi was selected for its supportive business environment and its established aerospace and defense corridor, which includes access to research institutions and industrial infrastructure. The expansion supports the company’s strategy of delivering turnkey rocket systems while advancing the use of 3D printed propellant for rocket motors.
“Mississippi is proud to have companies like Firehawk investing in our state as they rebuild America’s defense industry,” said Tate Reeves. “Their acquisition in Crawford will bring skilled jobs to the region while directly contributing to the production capacity our nation needs.”
The Mississippi facility follows Firehawk’s previously announced site in Lawton, Oklahoma, a 340-acre propellant and rocket motor production facility intended to support full-scale manufacturing. Together, the sites form part of Firehawk’s effort to expand U.S. industrial capacity for solid rocket motor propellant and establish an integrated, end-to-end rocket production pipeline.
About Firehawk Aerospace
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Firehawk Aerospace is an end-to-end energetics company developing rocket engines and propellants for defense applications. The company conducts static fire and flight testing at two West Texas sites, including a 30-square-mile launch range.
3D printing expands its role in rocket propulsion manufacturing
Firehawk’s expansion comes amid growing adoption of additive manufacturing across the global rocket and propulsion sector. In 2024, the company completed the first flight test of a rocket using a 3D printed hybrid propellant grain, validating its approach to additively manufactured energetics under real-world conditions.
Elsewhere, Chinese metal 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D has supported hybrid rocket production through metal additive manufacturing, while Indian launch startup Agnikul opened a dedicated facility in Chennai to 3D print metre-scale rocket engines. At the high-performance end of propulsion development, computational engineering company LEAP 71 has reported progress on meganeutron-class rocket engine programs using physics-driven design and metal additive manufacturing, highlighting the technology’s expanding role from prototyping to full-scale propulsion systems.
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Featured image shows first flight test of 3D printed hybrid rocket. Photo via Firehawk Aerospace.
