US defense manufacturer X-Bow Systems has been selected to develop and produce rocket boosters for the US Navy’s new ground-launched cruise missile program. It aims to give American allies a more affordable way to strike land and maritime targets.On October 27, X-Bow Systems announced that prime contractor CoAspire chose it to supply solid rocket boosters for the Navy’s CHAOS missile program.Reportedly, CoAspire bases the CHAOS missile on its larger RAACM-ER design, claiming an undemonstrated potential range of up to 1,000 nautical miles, or roughly 1,150 miles.The value of X-Bow’s subcontract, the number of boosters involved, and the delivery schedule have not been disclosed. The selection is part of a broader Navy effort to develop scalable, exportable precision-strike weapons for allied countries, potentially reducing their dependence on expensive legacy missile inventories.How the CHAOS cruise missile will launch from the groundThe CHAOS program’s initial configuration is designed for ground launch, letting forces deploy the cruise missile from a launcher rather than relying on a fighter jet or warship to launch it.X-Bow will build the solid rocket motors that accelerate the weapon out of its launcher and provide the initial thrust needed to get it moving. Once the booster has done its job, the cruise missile’s own propulsion system can sustain its flight toward the target.The weapon is based on CoAspire’s Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile-Extended Range (RAACM-ER). In a July announcement, CoAspire said the Navy selected the ground-launched variant under a $70 million prototype agreement. The missile system is intended to engage both land-based targets and moving maritime targets.The Navy’s August announcement says the initial expeditionary ground-launch capability is expected to enter production by 2028. The program could subsequently expand to surface-launch platforms, with air-launched configurations also possible depending on military requirements.Navy wants affordable weapons for its alliesThe Navy’s Precision Strike Weapons program office is developing CHAOS under PMX-201, with affordability, production scale, and exportability built into its requirements.The program is intended to give allied forces access to modern precision-strike capabilities without requiring them to rely exclusively on costly existing weapons. The Navy is also using agreements designed to speed prototype development and encourage competition from newer defense companies.CoAspire is one of two companies selected for the initial CHAOS effort, alongside Zone 5 Technologies. The Navy says its approach is designed to accommodate partner countries’ requirements from the outset and potentially allow local assembly and industrial participation. No allied customers or final procurement quantities have been announced for the system.X-Bow expands its rocket motor businessThe CHAOS selection adds to a busy year for X-Bow, which says it has secured seven new propulsion programs in 2026 across the Navy, Army, and Missile Defense Agency.The company uses additive manufacturing techniques to produce solid rocket motors, arguing that its approach can help increase output and reduce manufacturing costs. It recently completed a major production contract involving more than 2,100 rocket motors, according to its announcement.X-Bow has also been selected to supply booster motors for the Army’s Low-Cost Containerized Munition program through contractor Leidos. This is another effort focused on producing affordable cruise-missile capabilities at scale.