X-Bow Systems has secured a prototype agreement with a potential value of $69.7m to develop and qualify a solid rocket motor booster for a US Navy next-generation weapon programme.
The agreement is administered by US Army Contracting Command – Rock Island and includes a $50.4m first-phase development effort, followed by a $19.3m qualification option.
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The Army has obligated $50m at award to incrementally fund the 12-month initial phase.
The programme is intended to introduce a common architecture in place of single-purpose interceptors, including variants designed to increase the number of interceptors accommodated by each launch system.
The Navy plans to field an initial capability in early fiscal year 2031.
X-Bow said the award provides for production-rate tooling at its Luling, Texas, facility, where it plans a line capable of producing up to 500 motors annually.
Work will also be undertaken at the company’s manufacturing and research facilities in California and New Mexico.
X-Bow Systems founder and CEO Jason Hundley said: “To be the Arsenal of Freedom, we must first break the decades-old bottleneck in solid rocket motor production.
“This award is a clear signal the Pentagon is investing in advanced manufacturing to solve that problem, and we are ready to deliver the affordable, mass-producible propulsion our nation needs.”
The Navy agreement is one of six propulsion programmes for which X-Bow has been selected in 2026, spanning the US Navy, US Army and Missile Defence Agency.
X-Bow also said it recently completed its first major production contract, delivering more than 2,100 rocket motors.
In 2024, the company announced separate Navy development contracts for the Mk 72 booster and Mk 104 dual-thrust solid rocket motor, supporting the Standard Missile programme.
