US Air Force awards Beehive $29.7M engine contract
Beehive Industries, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, has announced it has been awarded a $29.7 million contract from the US Air Force to complete vehicle integration, flight testing and qualification of its additively manufactured 200 lbf (890 N) Frenzy 8 engine. The work is intended to support operational readiness and the scaling of additively manufactured propulsion systems.
The award also includes funding to advance the company’s additively manufactured 100 lbf (445 N) Frenzy 6 engine, beginning with manufacture of a First Engine to Test (FETT), with options for further testing, integration and flight demonstration.
Managed through the System of Systems Consortium (SOSSEC), the award supports a Small Expendable Turbine (SET) – Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) prototyping programme led by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). The SET programme forms part of the US Air Force’s strategy to develop and qualify lower-cost jet engines for uncrewed aerial and standoff applications, with Additive Manufacturing enabling rapid production and simplified supply chains.
FAMM is a FY2026-focused, Pentagon-wide initiative aimed at shifting from high-cost, low-volume systems to higher-volume, lower-cost alternatives, where additively manufactured propulsion is expected to play a key role.
Beehive Industries uses Additive Manufacturing to produce its Frenzy engine series, which is designed for use in mass-produced munitions and swarm-class drones. The company states that its approach enables the rapid manufacture of complex propulsion components with reduced supply chain requirements.
“Beehive is honoured to partner with the US Air Force in redefining the speed of defence,” stated Gordie Follin, Chief Product Officer at Beehive Industries. “By harnessing Additive Manufacturing to collapse complex supply chains into scalable, additively manufactured propulsion, we are providing the ‘affordable mass’ essential to modern deterrence.”
The latest contract builds on work completed over the past year, including ground and high-altitude testing of the Frenzy 8 engine, alongside efforts to demonstrate production scalability. During this period, Beehive also launched a ‘Pathfinder’ programme intended to validate production scalability, which it reports supports its plans for volume engine production.
By progressing testing milestones alongside increased production capability, the company is working to transition from development to production readiness.
