UNION Technologies and Firehawk Aerospace have partnered to link software-defined manufacturing with advanced energetics and propulsion production, aimed at addressing persistent gaps in the domestic defense industrial base.
Under the framework, UNION’s software-defined factory platform and forged metal parts capabilities would be integrated with Firehawk’s manufacturing infrastructure for energetics and propulsion systems. The initial focus is the 155mm artillery ecosystem, a supply chain that has faced acute strain as Western governments race to replenish stockpiles and sustain elevated production rates.
“Production is Deterrence,” said Garrett Unclebach, Chief Executive Officer of UNION. “The United States must be able to produce at speed, at scale, and with full accountability. UNION builds software-defined, automated factories with traceability so the U.S. and our allies can rapidly surge critical production when required. Our alignment with Firehawk brings complementary strengths together across metal parts and energetics to strengthen readiness and reduce friction in the pathways that matter.”
Closing the Manufacturing Integration Gap
UNION has built its platform around the modernization of forged metal part production, applying software-defined controls to manufacturing processes that have, in many cases, changed little in decades.
Meanwhile, Firehawk is developing high-throughput manufacturing capacity for advanced energetics with an explicit emphasis on repeatability, safety, and certification readiness, requirements that are non-negotiable in propulsion and explosives manufacturing, where process variability carries serious consequences.
The collaboration is intended to bridge those two domains. Rather than treating component production and system integration as separate problems to be solved independently, the companies are working toward a connected manufacturing approach that spans from raw metal parts through to finished propulsion and energetics assemblies.
In practical terms, that means aligning interfaces, quality standards, and evaluation criteria across both organizations, work the teams plan to sustain through a structured working cadence.
Near-term activity will center on 155mm-related metal parts and components, with expansion into energetics and propulsion systems described as a possibility as the relationship matures. Both companies have framed the initiative around readiness: demonstrating process control, improving manufacturability, and building the foundation for scalable, high-volume production.
The constraint is specific and documented. The U.S. Army set a target of 100,000 155mm rounds per month but as of mid-2025 was producing roughly 40,000, with a critical gap between projectile output and propellant charge production identified as a primary limiting factor.
The Army had historically relied on a plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania for shell production, with all explosive loading concentrated at one facility in Iowa. Expanding output has required standing up metal parts production and energetics manufacturing largely in parallel, but not always in coordination, which is precisely the integration gap UNION and Firehawk are positioning themselves to close.
Reindustrializing Defense Manufacturing
For decades, additive manufacturing in defense was a R&D proposition. But that is now changing. According to executives from major industrial 3D printer manufacturers including EOS, Nikon Advanced Manufacturing, and Roboze, the U.S. defense industrial base is undergoing a critical transformation driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain fragility, and adversary innovation.
The shift in conversation, as Roboze CEO Alessio Lorusso describes it, has moved from capability that is “going to be required” to “this must happen now.” The consensus among industry leaders is that the question is no longer whether the military will use advanced manufacturing at scale, but how fast it can get there.
The legislative response is taking shape. A congressional report accompanying the U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal 2026 defense budget recommends creating a nationwide network of dual-use factories, the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, that would produce commercial goods in peacetime and switch to weapons production during conflict.
The committee cited concern over China’s manufacturing dominance and what it described as the “calcification” of the U.S. defense acquisition system. Over $131.7 million has been proposed across Army, Air Force, and defense-wide research and development accounts to launch the initiative.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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Featured image shows a 155mm howitzer. Photo via US Army.
