US rocket motor maker with Trump family ties valued at $1.4 billion
GD•Firehawk Defense, a startup backed by Donald Trump Jr., was valued at more than $1.4 billion in a $150 million financing round. It plans to produce more than 100,000 artillery motors next year under a commercial agreement with General Dynamics.
1. Funding and valuation
Firehawk Defense was valued at more than $1.4 billion in a $150 million financing round co-led by Advent International and Rochefort Asset Management. Previous investors include 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm backed by Donald Trump Jr.
2. Production plans
The Dallas-based startup plans to use the funding to expand its Great Plains Arsenal in Lawton, Oklahoma, and an integration facility in Crawford, Mississippi. It expects the Oklahoma site to reach low-rate production by mid-2027, then scale to tens of thousands of motors per month by late next year.
3. Commercial agreement
Firehawk plans to produce over 100,000 artillery motors next year under a commercial agreement with General Dynamics, starting with sales for allied nations while it completes a 12-to-18-month qualification process for the US Army. The company expects to become the largest US producer of artillery motors and third-largest producer of rocket propellant by weight by the end of 2027.
