The US Navy has placed a production delivery order for the Blackbeard hypersonic missile with a total value of up to US$200 million.
The navy's Portfolio Acquisition Executive Aviation, through its Future Capability Development and Integration Aviation Rapid Capabilities Cell, executed the award through a private-public partnership.
Developed by Castelion, Blackbeard is an air-launched, hypersonic strike weapon that will provide carrier-based strike fighters with a responsive, long-range, high-speed strike option against maritime and land targets, enhancing survivability against advanced air defences while significantly increasing magazine depth.
The navy said the award satisfies the National Security Strategy priority for high-speed deterrence in contested maritime regions and addresses the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle's "foundry always" directive for affordable munitions at scale.
Castelion will manufacture, assemble, test and deliver the initial lot of Blackbeard hypersonic weapon all-up rounds.
"By leveraging advanced commercial manufacturing methods and a vertically integrated production line, this landmark program introduces immediate 'affordable mass' to the fleet—a critical requirement under the Department of the Navy's Hedge Strategy and Commander, Naval Air Forces Vice Admiral Doug Verissimo’s operational readiness goals," the navy said in a press release.
The navy had earlier awarded Castelion a US$23.4 million firm-fixed-price order for the production and delivery of 50 Blackbeard early operational capability pre-production missile prototypes and 50 associated storage and shipping containers.
Castelion has also begun collaborating with unmanned systems manufacturer Saronic Technologies on the integration of Blackbeard with Saronic's medium unmanned surface vehicle (USV) prototype. The two companies are planning to conduct a demonstration launch of a missile from a USV in 2027.
