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Navy taps startup for $105M hypersonic deal
25 Apr
Summary
- Navy contract aims to ready Blackbeard hypersonic missile for F/A-18 jets.
- Hypersonic missile designed for affordability and mass production.
- Startup builds new manufacturing campus for missile production.
The U.S. Navy has awarded a $105 million contract to Castelion, a California defense startup, to prepare its Blackbeard hypersonic missile for integration with carrier-based F/A-18 fighter jets. This significant step moves the weapon closer to deployment next year, enhancing U.S. military capabilities.
The Blackbeard missile is designed to travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and is engineered for affordability, allowing for potential mass procurement. Its air-launch capability from F/A-18s aboard aircraft carriers offers strategic advantages for striking distant targets.
Castelion is investing $250 million in a privately funded manufacturing campus, Project Ranger, to support anticipated large-scale production. This facility, expected to be operational by the end of next year, will be capable of producing thousands of Blackbeard missiles annually.
Pentagon budget documents indicate the Navy plans to acquire 4,500 air-launched hypersonic missiles for its F/A-18E/Fs over the next five years, with an estimated unit cost of approximately $384,000. Castelion anticipates clearing the final integration and certification hurdles for fielding next year.
