US Firehawk Invests $50 Million to Build Propellant Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Firehawk Aerospace is building the "Great Plains Arsenal" on the west side of Lawton, Oklahoma. The plant employs a new propellant production process that can reduce rocket propellant manufacturing time from about 60 days to roughly 6 hours.

Firehawk Aerospace CEO Will Edwards explained that this process originated from the independent work of a co-founder in 2019, before the company shifted its business focus from space applications to defense. Unlike the lengthy mixing and curing processes of traditional propellant manufacturers, Firehawk first produces a storable high-energy granular feedstock, which is then formed into different types of propellant via 3D printing, compression molding, or extrusion.

Edwards said: "I think we've taken what was roughly a 60-day process down to about 6 hours. So, the cost is significantly reduced, and the labor required is greatly reduced as well. We really can accelerate propellant production while dramatically cutting costs." He noted that this is why the company is building the Great Plains Arsenal in Lawton. In his estimation, by the end of next year at the latest—if not early 2028—Firehawk should become the third-largest rocket propellant producer in the United States.

The plant's first products will be artillery motors. Edwards mentioned that Lawton is close to Fort Sill, a U.S. Army field artillery installation, and "by next year, we should be the largest manufacturer of artillery motors in the United States."

Firehawk has invested more than $50 million in this project and received investments from Hanwha Defense USA and AFWERX last year. Edwards expects this investment to create over 100 new jobs, covering technicians, engineers, materials scientists, site managers, and security personnel.

Firehawk plans to begin commissioning the first buildings this fall, with the goal of starting low-rate initial production next summer and achieving full-rate production by the end of next summer.