CoAspire selects X-Bow for Navy CHAOS cruise missile boosters

X-Bow Systems announced Monday, Oct. 12, that Leidos has selected it to develop and produce the booster motors for Leidos' Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM), which X-Bow calls the Army's low-cost cruise missile.¹ X-Bow expects full-rate production of the motors at scale in 2027, the year Leidos says LCCM production begins. That puts the booster on the same clock as the missile.^1–2

X-Bowfull-rate production of booster motors at scale in 2027planned

will move through design, qualification testing and static fires

Leidosproduction beginning in 2027planned

an initial 3,000 Leidos LCCMs through a framework agreement with the Department of War

Development of Leidos' LCCM is company-funded

X-Bow Systems, Oct. 12, 2026; Leidos, May 13, 2026

Sources

• www.leidos.com ↗
• www.prnewswire.com ↗

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Leidos is funding LCCM development itself, building on technologies from its AGM-190A Small Cruise Missile program. It said in May that warfighters will receive an initial 3,000 through a framework agreement with the Department of War. To produce the LCCM, it will expand its workforce and enhance its facilities in Huntsville, Ala., and McEwen, Tenn.²

Leidos' booster work goes to a solid rocket motor maker in a sector that, the Pentagon said in February 2022, consolidation had left with only two domestic suppliers.^{1, 4} On Oct. 7, X-Bow announced a prototype agreement to develop and qualify a solid rocket motor booster for a Navy next-generation weapon. X-Bow puts that agreement's total potential value at $69.7 million, with $50 million obligated at award.³

X-Bow Systems said Wednesday it has been awarded a prototype agreement worth up to $69.7 million to develop and qualify a solid rocket motor booster for a Navy next-generation weapon. The agreement also funds rate tooling for a production line of up to 500 motors a year at X-Bow's Luling, Texas, site.¹

Phase 1 development effort$50.4 millionplanned

a solid rocket motor booster for a U.S. Navy next-generation weapon

Phase 2 qualification option$19.3 millioncontingent

qualify a solid rocket motor booster

$50 million was obligated at award

Source: X-Bow Systems release, Oct. 7, 2026

Sources

• www.prnewswire.com ↗

TGOs tgos.ioShare

That rate tooling goes into a sector where, the Pentagon said in 2022, consolidation had left only two domestic solid rocket motor suppliers.^{1, 4} X-Bow, a self-described non-traditional manufacturer, says it has delivered more than 2,100 rocket motors under a recently completed production contract.¹ In May it reported end-to-end energetic operations on two manufacturing systems at its Texas facility.³

The booster adds to Navy motor work X-Bow already holds. It has development contracts for the Standard Missile program's Mk 72 booster and Mk 104 dual-thrust motor, and in January it completed preliminary design review on both.²

Army Contracting Command-Rock Island administers the agreement, and its first phase runs 12 months. X-Bow says $50 million was obligated at award to incrementally fund that phase, nearly all of its $50.4 million.¹

X-Bow says the new program replaces single-purpose interceptors with a common architecture, including variants that pack more interceptors into each launch system. The company did not name the program or say whether other motor makers received similar agreements.¹