Defence startiup Castelion has secured a $105m contract from the US Navy to support continued development and integration of its Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon on the F/A-18 aircraft.
The contract will enable further testing and certification work, including system safety assessments and flight trials focused on adapting the weapon for carrier-based aviation.
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The arrangement also covers the completion of hardware and software integration into the F/A-18E/F platform.
Castelion intends to achieve Early Operational Capability for the weapon in 2027.
Castelion CEO and co-founder Bryon Hargis said: “The US Navy’s commitment to fielding affordable, innovative hypersonic capability reflects the kind of leadership this moment demands and clear determination to move fast for the warfighter.”
This latest contract builds on an earlier $49.9m award from the US Navy to advance Blackbeard from prototype to initial integrated capability.
Blackbeard is Castelion’s first long-range hypersonic strike weapon, developed for large-scale manufacturing and deployment after completion of the integration and testing phase.
The system incorporates vertically integrated propulsion and guidance elements, aiming to deliver capability at a lower cost than established systems, consistent with the Department of War’s focus on expanding non-nuclear deterrence.
In December last year, Castelion secured $350m in Series B financing, which the company says will help directly support the Pentagon’s priority of advancing hypersonic munitions production at scale.
The following month, the company invested $220m in Project Ranger, a manufacturing facility under construction in Sandoval County, New Mexico.
The facility covers 1,000 acres and, once complete, is expected to be the largest dedicated hypersonic production site in the US.
The company projects that all 21 planned structures at the site will be operational by the end of 2026, with the capacity to produce several thousand Blackbeard missiles annually.
