Firehawk Defense Secures $1.4 Billion Valuation
The startup is scaling automated production to challenge legacy contractors in the tactical munitions market.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Startups
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Dallas-based Firehawk Defense has secured a $1.4 billion valuation following a $150 million financing round led by Advent International and Rochefort Asset Management. The startup, which produces artillery motors and rocket propellant, is scaling production at its facilities in Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Why it matters
Firehawk is targeting an industrial defense base historically dominated by legacy contractors to address ongoing shortages in tactical munitions. The company's expansion plans aim to establish it as a leading domestic producer of rocket propellant and artillery motors within three years.
Firehawk utilizes a continuous thermoplastic molding process to produce fuel cores in hours, a shift from traditional batch manufacturing. Its base-bleed motors, designed for munitions under 13 inches in diameter, reduce aerodynamic drag to provide a 30% range extension.
The players
Firehawk Defense
A Dallas-based defense startup focused on manufacturing artillery motors and rocket propellant using thermoplastic processes.
Advent International
A global private equity firm that co-led the recent $150 million financing round for Firehawk Defense.
Rochefort Asset Management
An investment firm that co-led the recent $150 million financing round for Firehawk Defense.
General Dynamics
A major aerospace and defense contractor that maintains a commercial agreement with Firehawk to produce artillery motors.
The details
The company produces base-bleed motors—propulsion systems attached to the rear of artillery shells—that create a low-pressure area to reduce drag and increase distance. By using a continuous thermoplastic process, the startup molds propellant directly into solid fuel cores rather than relying on slower chemical curing methods. These components support small-diameter munitions, with the company currently scaling production at its 320-acre Great Plains Arsenal in Lawton, Oklahoma, and an integration facility in Crawford, Mississippi.
Timeline
Mid-2027: Oklahoma site reaches low-rate production.
Late 2027: Oklahoma site scales to high production volume.
End of 2027: Target date for becoming a top industry producer.
The Tech Race
Firehawk is challenging legacy defense prime contractors by implementing automated production flows for components that traditionally require extensive manual oversight. The firm aims to scale annual output to 100,000 artillery motors next year to fill gaps in the national industrial base.
The startup's scaling efforts will affect defense supply chains primarily through its planned 100,000-unit artillery motor production goal for next year. These components are integrated directly into standard-issue munitions currently used by defense partners like General Dynamics.
The takeaway
Firehawk Defense is attempting to disrupt the traditional defense supply chain through faster manufacturing throughput for critical munition components. Investors and observers should monitor the progress at the Great Plains Arsenal as it nears low-rate production in mid-2027.
Further reading
For broader analysis on emerging companies in the defense sector, see the latest updates in Startups.
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Should private tech startups play a larger role in manufacturing military munitions for the U.S. government?
