X-Bow Systems successfully closed its over $105 million Series B funding round. The strategic portion of this crucial funding was led by Lockheed Martin, with additional investment from other key partners. This capital infusion is dedicated to accelerating X-Bow’s innovation efforts, expanding its production capacity, and delivering state-of-the-art defense technologies at speed and scale, solidifying its role as a critical independent supplier within the defense industrial base in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

From Axios and Colin Demarest: Lockheed Martin is fast-tracking X-Bow Systems as a new, independent supplier of solid-rocket motors and other services, the defense upstart’s CEO, Jason Hundley, told Axios.

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/xbow-lockheed-rocket-motors-texas

X-Bow announced the formation of its Strategic Advisory Board, which will provide strategic counsel and support the company’s continued growth and maturation. The addition of former government and military leaders underscores X-Bow’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) and its vital mission. The company’s strategic advisors will further deepen X-Bow’s understanding of DoD and global requirements and demands and strengthen its ability to deliver on the needs of the mission and the defense industrial base.

Modification to an existing contract for changes to specifications for additive manufacturing solid rocket motor propellant.

X-Bow announced the grand opening of its new office in Indian Head, Maryland, reinforcing its commitment to supporting national defense priorities and strengthening its partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD), the Navy’s premier facility for energetics and munitions.

X-Bow received an additional $7 million contract to implement cutting-edge technology at the NSWC Indian Head facility. This contract specifically focuses on further enhancing the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of energetics production processes, directly supporting national defense priorities and the modernization of the U.S. Navy’s energetics industrial base.

The increase is an addition to the $64 million awarded to X-Bow in 2023 to expand production capacity of the solid rocket motor industrial base. It’s an expansion of its contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This increase reinforces X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States. Picture: Adele Ratcliff (right), Director of the Department of Defense (DoD)’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, and Max Vozoff, CTO of X-Bow, discuss the recent expansion of their DoD contract for hypersonic solid rocket motor development. This increase will bolster U.S. defense readiness by expanding production capacity and strengthening the domestic supply chain. (Source: X-Bow)

X-Bow was awarded five initial contracts, totaling $60 million, for Phase 1 design, development, and long-lead procurement. This work is aimed at modernizing and automating various energetics manufacturing capabilities at NSWC IHD, forming a key part of the U.S. Navy’s broader $2.7 billion, 15-year modernization plan for the facility.

X-Bow conducted the third successful flight of its Bolt Rocket (Commercial Mission-1 or CM-1), featuring the 34-inch Ballesta-34 SRM (XB-32) – the largest Advanced Manufactured Solid Propellant (AMSP) motor ever flown. This critical national security mission, sponsored by DIU and the US Army SMDC, validated the scalability and effectiveness of X-Bow’s approach to affordable, large-scale production of SRMs using additively manufactured energetics.

Development of the Mk 72 booster solid rocket motor for the Navy’s Standard Missiles.

Development and hot-fire testing of a prototype solid rocket motor for the Navy’s Standard Missile program.

Continued development of advanced, fully energetic advanced manufacturing capability (“Gen-0”) for solid rocket motors.

Focus on maturing X-Bow into a viable supplier of tactical solid rocket motors.

Contract to provide large solid rocket motors for U.S. Navy and Army hypersonic weapon systems.

X-Bow successfully completed the second launch of its Bolt Rocket (XL-2B mission) under the Responsive Development Experiment (ReDX) program for Los Alamos National Laboratory. This flight further validated X-Bow’s modular launch vehicle and motor designs in a rapid follow-on demonstration, aiming for cost-effective, high-cadence access for national security purposes.

X-Bow finalized a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (P3) agreement with Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD). This agreement establishes a long-term framework for collaboration, leveraging NSWC IHD’s capabilities and X-Bow’s advanced manufacturing expertise for future energetics programs and solid rocket motor development.

Funding for strategic capabilities, supported by government, private investment, and SBIR matching.

X-Bow conducted the first successful launch of its Bolt Rocket (XL-2 mission) carrying a Payload Test Vehicle for the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This mission demonstrated X-Bow’s modular boost rocket capabilities and ushered in new competition and technology for the solid rocket motor industrial base.

Likely a phase of the RE-ARM effort focused on maturing propellant formulations and additive manufacturing systems.

Original contract for a low-cost advanced manufacturing approach to solid rocket motors, leading to a simulated-energetics factory demonstration.

Focused on developing and demonstrating additively manufactured solid rocket motors via direct-extrusion printing.

Continued development of additive manufacturing for solid propellant in small launch vehicles.

Initial funding for infusing advanced manufacturing methods to produce small launch vehicles.