Beehive Industries secures $29.7m US Air Force contract for Frenzy engine family

Beehive Industries, a Denver-based manufacturer of additively manufactured jet engines for uncrewed aerial defense systems, has received a $29.7 million contract from the US Air Force to complete vehicle integration, flight testing, and qualification of the company’s 200 lbf Frenzy 8 engine.

The award also includes funding to advance the 100 lbf Frenzy 6 engine, beginning with production of a First Engine to Test (FETT) asset and options for further testing, vehicle integration, and flight demonstration.

The contract was managed through the SOSSEC consortium in support of a Small Expendable Turbine (SET) — Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) prototyping effort, led by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). 

FAMM is a fiscal year 2026-focused, Pentagon-wide initiative designed to shift defense procurement away from high-cost, low-quantity weapons toward a large-scale, cost-effective arsenal. 

Beehive’s Frenzy engine was specifically designed for mass-produced munitions and swarm-class drones, with additive manufacturing used to reduce cost and speed up production.

From testing to production readiness

The award builds on work Beehive has completed over the previous year, during which the company validated the Frenzy 8 through ground and high-altitude testing. The company also launched a “Pathfinder” program to validate production at scale, with results confirming a path to mass engine production beginning in 2026.

“Beehive is honored to partner with the US Air Force in redefining the speed of defense. By harnessing additive manufacturing to collapse complex supply chains into scalable, 3D printed propulsion, we are providing the ‘affordable mass’ essential to modern deterrence,” stated Gordie Follin, Chief Product Officer at Beehive Industries.

“This collaboration ensures our warfighters will have the high-volume, mission-ready capabilities they need to maintain a competitive edge in any theater.”