US Army-backed Firehawk tests 3D-printed missile propellant for Javelin and Stinger launch motors.

Firehawk Aerospace says it completed flight tests of Javelin- and Stinger-class launch motors using 3D-printed solid propellant under a Phase III SBIR with the Army Applications Laboratory, announced in Dallas on Sept. 30, 2025. The propulsion-only “Analog” trials point to faster, more flexible rocket-motor production versus traditional cast-cure grains, relevant to U.S. Army stockpiles and the defense industrial base.

Firehawk Aerospace confirmed on Sept. 30, 2025, in a Dallas company announcement that it completed flight tests of Javelin and Stinger class launch motors built with 3D-printed solid propellant, concluding a Phase III SBIR effort run with the Army Applications Laboratory. The company clarified the trials were Firehawk Analog systems sized to those classes and focused on propulsion, not full missile firings. The news follows Firehawk’s Aug. 26, 2025, demonstration of a GMLRS-class hybrid engine, underscoring a path to additively manufactured propellant that could shorten production timelines now dominated by cast composite grains and long curing cycles.
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U.S. Army-backed Firehawk flight tests used 3D-printed propellant in Javelin and Stinger–sized launch motors, signaling a faster path for rocket-motor production. (Picture source: US DoD/ Firehawk)

Javelin provides a concrete technical frame. The system combines a Command Launch Unit and a missile. The CLU, weighing 6.4 kg, integrates passive target acquisition and fire control with a day channel at 4x magnification and thermal imaging at 4x and 9x. The gunner’s controls are on the CLU, which sends a lock-on-before-launch command to the missile. Soft-launch design allows firing from buildings or shelters, which matters for dismounted infantry. The effector uses a tandem charge shaped to generate a high-velocity jet capable of penetrating about 600 to 800 mm of rolled homogeneous armor, including after defeating explosive reactive armor. The stated engagement distances cover typical tactical use, with standard shots around 2.5 km, extendable to about 4 km with a lightweight control unit and up to roughly 4.75 km when fired from a remote weapon station on a vehicle, within realistic and qualifiable profiles.

Javelin’s attack profile remains distinctive and explains its operational value. After launch, the missile climbs to roughly 100 to 200 meters, then dives on the target at an angle near 45 degrees to strike the top armor. The long-wave infrared seeker enables lock on a thermal signature, works through dust, smoke, and haze, and resists decoys, which also supports engagement of non-armored targets such as bunkers, building facades, or small boats. A thermal imager in the nose and onboard processing maintain the track without operator input. In practice, as long as the propulsion chain delivers a stable thrust curve and a controlled signature, integrating a printed grain does not change the interface with the rest of the system or the firing sequence.

For Stinger, the requirement is a reliable, compact motor compatible with shoulder launch. The FIM-92 missile uses a passive infrared seeker, sometimes paired with an ultraviolet channel, enabling true fire-and-forget employment and reducing operator workload. Launch begins with a small ejection motor that clears the shooter before the two-stage solid sustainer ignites, accelerating the missile to about Mach 2.2. The missile is 1.52 m long, around 70 mm in diameter, weighs about 10.1 kg, and typically reaches targets out to 4.8 km, with low-altitude engagements around a 3.8 km ceiling. The warhead is approximately 3 kg with an impact fuze and a timed self-destruct; it combines penetration with pyrophoric effects. The combined weight of missile and launcher is about 15.2 kg, manageable for a two-person team, and the round can be integrated on platforms such as Avenger and Linebacker, with an Air-to-Air Stinger variant for helicopters.

Ancillary elements affect employment. For Javelin, the three viewing modes include a 4x day view for scanning and two thermal views at 4x and 9x that form the core of target acquisition. For Stinger, the AN/PAS-18 thermal sight mounts to the launch tube to provide day-night capability, detecting targets beyond missile range at the expense of additional size and weight that can fatigue the gunner during prolonged search. In both systems, sensors condition how propulsion performance translates into effects. A cleanly printed grain, free of voids and with controlled internal roughness, only has value if it integrates without surprises into a firing cycle where acquisition, lock, and launch occur under stress.

On the industrial side, the promise of printed propellant lies in agility. Conventional casting requires specific tooling and slow cures. Printing could, if supported by accumulated test data and qualification, compress lead times, produce multiple geometries on the same equipment with only digital changes, and enable more small parallel production cells. This would reduce safety, health, and environmental risk associated with large energetic batches and create margin for training lots tailored to short ranges or thrust profiles adjusted for cold weather without changing the motor structure. Firehawk’s previously conducted GMLRS class hybrid test indicates an effort to cover several propulsion families and provide options.

Consumption rates for surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles remain high due to ongoing support to Ukraine and expanded training pipelines in Europe. In the Indo-Pacific, contested logistics and depth of theater push for resilient domestic production, rapid restarts, and redundancy. U.S. public authorities are supporting expansion of the energy sector, onshoring of precursors, and diversification of suppliers. Within this context, a Phase III SBIR that delivers flight data on printed motors in Javelin and Stinger formats does not replace existing casting lines. It adds another pathway. If lot-to-lot repeatability, insensitive munitions requirements, and costs converge, the U.S. Army gains an additional lever to smooth fluctuations and secure availability closer to deployed units.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces, with a strong focus on multilateral cooperation and geopolitics.