Firehawk Aerospace has landed a $4 million Tactical Funding Increase contract from the U.S. Air Force to advance its 3D-printed rocket propulsion technology.

The award comes through AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm that partners with startups to accelerate next-generation defense capabilities.

Addison-based Firehawk builds solid rocket motors powered by its proprietary 3D-printed thermoplastic propellant. The company said the new funding will support the design and hot-fire testing of extended-range motors engineered for greater performance and adaptability.

Co-founder and CEO Will Edwards called the award a validation of Firehawk’s mission to deliver adaptable, high-performance systems built for today—and tomorrow.

“We’re building for the operational realities our forces face today and those that lie ahead, to give our warfighters the edge,” he said in a statement.

Will Edwards holding a sample of Firehawk’s 3D-printed solid rocket fuel in 2023. [Photo: Michael Samples/Dallas Innovates]

Fast-tracking innovation in defense

The award was made through the Department of the Air Force’s Open Topic SBIR/STTR program. Firehawk said the initiative streamlines how small businesses can support Air Force and Space Force missions by reducing proposal timelines, cutting red tape, and expanding access to federal funding.

The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX—a division of AFWERX and the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force—partnered on the program to accelerate advanced defense technologies.

Fueling the future with additive manufacturing

Edwards said the company is “challenging decades of traditional propulsion technology” and redefining what’s possible through additive manufacturing.

Firehawk said the new solution will leverage its proprietary techniques to build safer, more flexible, and higher-performing propulsion systems. That adaptability, the company added, delivers key advantages in battlefield responsiveness and supply chain resilience.

The company develops rocket motors powered by its patented 3D-printed propellant and says it can manufacture and distribute systems quickly and affordably—”almost anywhere in the world.”

Describing itself as an end-to-end energetics company, Firehawk designs its products at its Dallas-area headquarters and conducts static fire and flight tests at two West Texas sites, including a 30-square-mile launch range.

Strategic growth in Oklahoma

Firehawk Aerospace CEO Will Edwards (fourth from left, in blue tie) joins state and federal leaders at the Oklahoma State Capitol in May 2025 to announce a 320-acre land and funding package supporting the company’s new manufacturing facility near Fort Sill. The initiative aims to expand U.S. rocket propulsion and energetics capabilities. [Photo: Firehawk Aerospace]

In May, Firehawk received a pivotal land and capital investment from the State of Oklahoma and federal leaders including Gov. Kevin Stitt, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, and Rep. Trey Caldwell.

The package includes the transfer of 320 acres near Fort Sill in Lawton, along with $22 million in state and federal funds to build a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with specialized test infrastructure and equipment.

“This is a strategic investment in the future of U.S. energetics and propulsion capacity,” Edwards said at the time. “It will enable us to produce the advanced energetics needed to replenish the U.S. arsenal, restore stockpiles, and sustain any fight.”

Gov. Stitt called the expansion a national security priority and a high-tech job creator. “By expanding solid and hybrid rocket motor production here in our state, we are doing our part to strengthen the nation’s defense forces and the shield of missile defense,” he said.

Krista Ratliff, president and CEO of the FISTA Development Trust Authority, said Oklahoma is poised to lead in defense manufacturing. “We are showing the nation that Oklahoma is ready to lead and support the next generation of defense manufacturing,” she said.

Construction for the Lawton facility is scheduled to begin “later this year,” with operations projected to start in 2026.

$60 million Series C backs growth

Firehawk’s expansion is also being fueled by a $60 million Series C round, first reported by Forbes in January. The funding brought the company’s valuation to $290 million, reported Techtonic, a defense publication, citing Pitchbook. 

The round was led by 1789 Capital and included Draper Associates, Boka Capital, Stellar Ventures, Plains Ventures, Pomifer Capital, What If Ventures, Gaingels, Backswing Ventures, and others, per Crunchbase data.

Firehawk’s propulsion technology had already drawn earlier Air Force interest. Last year, Dallas Innovates reported on a previous AFWERX award and spoke with Edwards about the company’s “secret sauce” for optimizing rocket engines.

Quincy Preston contributed to this report. The story was updated on Sept. 24, 2025, with additional details on Firehawk’s $60 million Series C round. 

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