Defense startup Castelion has been awarded contracts to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic weapon with operational US Army and US Navy platforms.
Under the agreements, Castelion will conduct live-fire demonstrations as part of the Pentagon’s effort to evaluate and accelerate lower-cost conventional strike options for deterrence.
Blackbeard is engineered as a low-cost, mid-range precision strike munition that can be integrated with fielded launchers such as the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, as well as the US Army’s planned Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher.
“These integration contracts validate that affordability and speed are critical to modern deterrence,” Castelion CEO Bryon Hargis said.
“Castelion leads the market designing for manufacturability and rapid iteration, enabling the Department of War to move faster from concept to capability.”
Affordable Option
Built for mass production and quick fielding, Blackbeard leverages in-house propulsion and guidance to cut costs while preserving performance.
According to the US Army’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification, the ground-launch system is not intended to replace the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), as it will not reach comparable velocities or range.
The LRHW, known as Dark Eagle, is expected to achieve speeds of up to Mach 17 (about 13,000 miles/21,000 kilometers per hour) and a range of roughly 1,725 miles (2,776 kilometers).
Instead, Blackbeard is aimed at delivering roughly 80 percent of the capability of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 4 at a significantly lower cost.
The future PrSM Increment 4 is designed to extend the missile’s reach well beyond 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) using advanced propulsion such as a ramjet and integrates a terminal seeker to allow precise engagements of mobile and time-sensitive targets in the terminal phase.
In addition, Blackbeard is expected to be compatible with modified Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions pods and incorporate enhanced target-discrimination features.
