The US Navy has placed an order worth up to $200 million to put Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic weapon into production.
Castelion said the order covers the manufacture, assembly, testing, and delivery of an initial batch of Blackbeard weapons for the fleet. The deal follows the navy’s order for 50 early operational capability weapons in June.
Blackbeard is an air-launched hypersonic strike weapon designed for long-range attacks against maritime and land targets. In February, the US Navy awarded nearly $50 million to Castelion to accelerate development and prototype production of the system.
The company said production will take place at its Project Ranger manufacturing campus in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and at its facility in Torrance, California.
Castelion CEO Bryon Hargis said the order reflects “how you get capability to the fleet fast, clear red tape, and partner with industry.”
Blackbeard’s Footprint
Blackbeard is starting to make its presence felt across multiple platforms as Castelion pushes the hypersonic weapon toward operational use.
In April, the navy awarded Castelion a $105-million contract to integrate the weapon with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and conduct the testing and certification needed for carrier operations. The navy is targeting early operational capability in 2027.
Castelion has also explored launching Blackbeard from unmanned surface vessels. In June, the company announced a partnership with Saronic to integrate the weapon with the latter’s Marauder medium unmanned surface vessel, with a demonstration planned for 2027.
The company has been scaling its production ambitions alongside those development efforts. In August, Castelion raised $1 billion to support scaled Blackbeard production and expansion into longer-range strike and defensive systems.