ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - X-Bow Systems, a producer of advanced manufactured solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, has 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.
The 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.
The U.S. energetics materials supply chain is fragile, relying on decades-old, batch-based manufacturing processes. In 2023 testimony before Congress, Dr. William LaPlante, then Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, highlighted that replenishing certain munitions stockpiles could take 5 to 10 years at current production rates. X-Bow's AMSP process — patented, digital-first, and flight-validated — provides a modern solution to this vulnerability, delivering production and surge capacity for critical national defense programs.
- Production Readiness: Within the next 30 to 90 days, the AMSP system will begin flowing energetics and producing SRM propellant for existing contracts.
- Scalable Capacity: Backed by ~$40 million in X-Bow private capital along with co-investment from the U.S. Air Force and DARPA, the facility will initially produce 1 million pounds of energetics annually, with plans to scale to 3 million pounds within 12-24 months, equivalent to ~3,000 – 3,800 or more Standard Missile motors or ~30,000 - 50,000 tactical sized SRMs per year.
- Critical Programs: The AMSP system supports SRMs ranging from tactical to strategic sizes, including the Army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System, the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike weapon system, and the Mk 72 booster and Mk 104 dual-thrust SRM for the Navy's Standard Missile program. X-Bow is the only supplier awarded development contracts for both the Mk 72 and Mk 104.
X-Bow's AMSP production system leverages modern systems engineering tools and AI-driven optimization, including its partnership with Lockheed Martin's Astris AI Factory. This ensures enhanced efficiency, scalability, and quality assurance, moving SRM production out of the analog era and into the digital future.
Jason Hundley, Founder and CEO of X-Bow, said, "We've depleted in one year what was considered a decade's worth of munitions stockpiles. Our Texas campus provides production and surge capacity for tactical, strategic, and hypersonic solid rocket motors, ensuring we deliver critical capabilities to the warfighter at the speed of relevance."
