US EditionCastelion Secures Multiple Awards to Integrate Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon on U.S. Army and U.S. Navy Platforms
Castelion will deliver 10 prototypes for flight testing by late 2026 to support cost-effective hypersonic strike capabilities amid U.S.-China military competition.
- On Friday, U.S. defense startup Castelion announced it won multiple awards to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic weapon on U.S. Army and Navy platforms under recently signed contracts including live-fire tests.
- As the Pentagon races to keep pace, the Department of War said new hypersonic technology will advance cost-effective strike capabilities as U.S. military services invest heavily amid the U.S.-China arms race.
- The company says Blackbeard, Castelion's weapon system, went from blank-sheet design to over 20 test flights in less than 18 months; Castelion was founded three years ago and is based in Torrance, California, with facilities in Texas.
- In the first phase, Castelion will deliver a prototype proof-of-concept for a demonstration between January and March 2026, then deliver 10 prototypes for M142 HIMARS flight testing by FY26, backed by $25 million from the Army fiscal 2026 budget.
- Castelion CEO Bryon Hargis wrote `These integration contracts validate that affordability and speed are critical to modern deterrence`, highlighting integrated propulsion and the HX3 variant's doubled range over PrSM 1.
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Defense startup's 'Blackbeard' hypersonic weapon gets military integration contract with Pentagon
U.S. defense startup Castelion announced on Friday it will integrate its affordable, long-range, hypersonic strike weapons with operational Army and Navy platforms.Under the recently signed contract agreement, Castelion will work with both military branches to integrate its hypersonic "Blackbeard" weapon system onto operational platforms and participate in live-fire tests.The company said the new weapon technology will advance the Department of …
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Castelion Secures Multiple Awards to Integrate Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon on U.S. Army and U.S. Navy Platforms
TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Castelion, a U.S. defense technology company developing affordable, long-range strike weapons, announced today that it has been awarded integration contracts for its Blackbeard weapon system with operational U.S. Army and U.S. Navy platforms.
Pentagon Makes Major Move for Hypersonic Weapons, and It's Actually Affordable
When the headlines scream about trillion-dollar defense budgets vanishing into black holes, it’s a rare jolt to see the Pentagon back a project that actually delivers firepower without draining the taxpayer’s wallet dry. Enter Castelion, the scrappy California-based defense outfit that’s just locked in contracts to bolt its Blackbeard hypersonic missile onto Army and Navy […]
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