TORRANCE, Calif. — The U.S. Navy has awarded defense startup Castelion a production delivery order valued at up to $200 million for an initial production lot of Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapons. The order covers the manufacturing, assembly, testing and delivery of the weapons to the fleet.
Production Order Follows Earlier EOC Purchase
The award was issued by Portfolio Acquisition Executive Aviation (PAE(A)) through its Future Capability Development and Integration Aviation Rapid Capabilities Cell.
It follows the Navy’s June 2026 purchase of 50 Blackbeard Early Operational Capability (EOC) weapons under a separate $23.4 million firm-fixed-price order, which also included 50 storage and shipping containers.
The latest order moves Blackbeard from prototype and EOC activities into an initial production lot for fleet delivery.
Blackbeard Hypersonic Weapon
Blackbeard is an air-launched hypersonic strike weapon designed to provide naval aviation with a high-speed, long-range option against maritime and land targets.
Castelion said the system is intended to increase magazine depth and extend the strike reach of naval aviation, including aircraft such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
The program has been developed with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, supported by hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment.
Earlier Navy Contracts
The latest production order follows several earlier Blackbeard contracts:
- February 2026: Nearly $50 million to advance Blackbeard toward Early Operational Capability.
- April 2026: About $105 million for F/A-18 integration and related testing.
- June 2026: $23.4 million for 50 EOC weapons and 50 storage and shipping containers.
- August 2026: Nearly $90 million for engineering, technical, logistics and manufacturing services supporting the 50 EOC weapons and the system’s transition toward a formal Navy program.
Production Facilities
Castelion plans to carry out production work at Project Ranger, its 1,000-acre manufacturing campus in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and at its facility in Torrance, California.
The company has invested more than $220 million of its own capital in Project Ranger. The site supports solid rocket motor manufacturing, testing and final assembly.
Castelion is using vertical integration and commercial manufacturing methods for Blackbeard production, giving the company greater control over costs, quality and production schedules from raw materials through finished weapons.
Castelion CEO on Production
Bryon Hargis, co-founder and chief executive officer of Castelion, said the Navy’s decision to move into production reflects confidence in the Blackbeard program and the progress made so far. He also said the weapon was designed from the beginning for serial manufacturing and that Castelion looks forward to delivering the capability to the fleet.
The latest order represents the next production phase for Blackbeard as the Navy moves toward fielding the air-launched hypersonic strike weapon.
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