Firehawk Aerospace announces expansion into Mississippi rocket factory

In a December 19 statement, Firehawk Aerospace announced it would build a new rocket factory in Crawford, Mississippi, to expand its manufacturing capacity for solid-fuel rockets. The company did not disclose the price of the Defense Contract Management Agency-rated building it had leased for the purpose, nor how many jobs the project would bring to the area.

Company leadership said the new factory would expand Firehawk’s manufacturing capacity for rockets, and said the new site would advance the company’s goal of full-rate production of end-to-end rocket systems. Will Edwards, CEO and a co-founder of the company, said more weapons manufacturing was necessary to rapidly replace stockpiles drawn down by the United States.

The company builds rocket motors with 3D printed propellant, which it says are faster and more cost effective than traditional rockets. The company currently operates a Dallas headquarters and factory, two test facilities in West Texas. In May, the company said it would build a new manufacturing site for propellant and rocket motors in Lawton, Oklahoma.

What people are saying

"This acquisition strengthens Firehawk's ability to address one of the nation's most urgent defense challenges: rebuilding munition inventories that have been drawn down faster than they can be replaced," said Firehawk CEO Will Edwards. "While the current industrial base is built to produce thousands of rockets per year, we are building this site - and our broader manufacturing footprint - to operate at a much higher production tempo. With R&D in Texas, energetics production in Oklahoma, and now full system integration in Mississippi, we are designing for throughput measured in thousands per month, not years."

"Mississippi is proud to have companies like Firehawk investing in our state as they rebuild America's defense industry," said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves. "Their acquisition in Crawford will bring skilled jobs to the region while directly contributing to the production capacity our nation needs. Firehawk's investment will strengthen the local economy while helping our nation supply the system our warfighters depend on."

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