Beehive Industries unveils 3D-printed Rampart turbofan engine achieving 1,000 lbf thrust for uncrewed combat drones

Colorado-based Beehive Industries has publicly unveiled the Rampart, a 3D-printed turbofan engine rated at 1,000 lbf of thrust, designed specifically for uncrewed combat aircraft operating in contested environments. The company claims its additive manufacturing approach enables significantly faster assembly compared to conventionally manufactured jet engines, directly targeting the U.S. Department of Defense's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative, which demands rapid production and deployment of attritable platforms. Beehive is also advancing smaller engine variants under a $30 million U.S. Air Force contract: the Frenzy 8 (approximately 200 lbf) and Frenzy 6 (approximately 100 lbf), both scheduled for flight testing. The Rampart's adaptable design supports reconfiguration for combat, reconnaissance, and decoy missions, with an all-US manufacturing model intended to provide strategic supply-chain resilience.

This announcement lands squarely within the defense vertical's politically accelerated 2025-2026 wave, where the NDAA §849 split (effective December 2026) is reshaping supplier eligibility for domestic propulsion sources. Beehive is positioning itself against established primes like Honeywell and Kratos, who hold incumbent propulsion contracts for the same CCA programs. The company's bet is that additive manufacturing — specifically metal LPBF and DED processes — can collapse the traditional aerospace qualification grind from a decade-long cycle into something compatible with the Pentagon's new emphasis on mass-produced, attritable systems. The Rampart's 1,000 lbf class places it in a thrust band suitable for tactical uncrewed fighters, a segment where engine cost and production speed currently constrain fleet size. Skepticism from industry analysts, as reported by NextGenDefense, centers on whether a startup can scale production and meet MIL-SPEC qualification standards against Honeywell and Kratos, both of whom have decades of certified engine programs and embedded supply chains.

Beehive's near-term credibility rests on the Frenzy flight tests, which will serve as the first public proof that its AM processes can survive the vibration, thermal, and endurance regimes required for operational military engines. The company must demonstrate not just a printed prototype, but repeatable production quality, certified material properties, and a qualification pathway that the Air Force's propulsion directorate will accept. For buyers evaluating CCA engine suppliers, the Rampart represents a potential alternative to incumbent pricing and lead times — but only if Beehive can convert its additive speed advantage into a certified production line, not just a lab demonstration.