Product · Air
Blackbeard
Hypersonic strike weapon designed for industrial-rate output and low unit cost; Navy F/A-18 integration toward Early Operational Capability in 2027.
by Castelion · Unveiled Jun 2025
- Milestones5
- Sources13
- Operators—
- Components—
Photo: Castelion · Editorial use (company media kit) · Official manufacturer media asset. Resized and reencoded as WebP with metadata removed; no additional crop or retouching. Company credit retained for factual editorial coverage.
Hypersonic strike weapon designed for industrial-rate output and low unit cost; Navy F/A-18 integration toward Early Operational Capability in 2027.
Timeline5
- UnveiledReported
Blackbeard named in Army FY2026 budget request
The Army's FY2026 RDT&E budget justification, published in June 2025, publicly named Castelion's Blackbeard and requested $25 million for the Blackbeard Ground Launch (GL) effort. The same document refers to an existing air-launched Blackbeard design, so the name may have been used earlier in non-public settings; no earlier public naming was found.
SourcesTechCrunchThe War Zone
- Contract awardConfirmed
$49.998M prototype, flight-test and fielding order
Award: Blackbeard F/A-18 integration order (SBIR Phase III BOA) ($155M obligated · up to $155M ceiling)
SourcesU.S. Department of War
- Contract awardConfirmed
Production framework agreement with the Department of War
Framework agreement under which, once Blackbeard completes testing and validation, the Department will award a two-year multi-year procurement for at least 500 missiles a year, extendable to five years. No contract value was announced.
- Contract awardConfirmed
Initial production delivery order (up to $200M)
Award: Blackbeard initial production delivery order (up to $200M ceiling)
SourcesNaval TodayU.S. Navy
Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Technologies1
Cost to the government
- Unit cost (per round)Estimated$442KEstimate / observation: 2026-04-26 · Then-year $ · 353 units · FY2027
FY2027 Navy budget: first batch of 353 Blackbeards for $156M (Naval News analysis, as reported by Defense Express), i.e. ~$442,000 per missile (156e6/353 = $441,926). FY2027 procurement line average; includes any line-level support costs.
- Unit cost (per unit)Reported$384KEstimate / observation: 2026-04-24 · Then-year $ · 4,500 units
Reuters citing FY2027 Pentagon budget documents: Navy plans to buy 4,500 air-launched hypersonic missiles (Blackbeard, Navy MACE effort) for F/A-18E/F over the next five years at an average unit cost of about $384,000 (FYDP average, procurement).
- Contract unit priceEstimated$468KEstimate / observation: 2026-06-16 · 50 units
US Navy $23.4M firm-fixed-price order for 50 Blackbeard early operational capability pre-production prototypes plus 50 storage and shipping containers. Derived: 23,400,000 / 50 = $468,000 per round including its container. Follow-on Sept 2026 production order is 'up to $200M' with no quantity stated.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this product, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.
Programs & awards2 awards
Linked awards2
- Blackbeard initial production delivery order
U.S. Navy · Sep 15, 2026
Up to $200MceilingConfirmed - Blackbeard F/A-18 integration order (SBIR Phase III BOA)
U.S. Navy · Feb 25, 2026
$155Mobligated · up to $155M ceilingConfirmed
News1
Sources13
- 1.
Naval Today · Sep 15, 2026 · Supports: Government award · ceiling usd, System milestone
“The order, valued at up to $200 million, was awarded by Portfolio Acquisition Executive Aviation (PAE(A))”
- 2.
U.S. Navy · Sep 15, 2026 · Supports: Government award · ceiling usd, System milestone
“Small Business Innovation Research Phase III production delivery order for the Blackbeard hypersonic missile, total value up to $200 million”
- 3.
Castelion · Jun 16, 2026 · Supports: Cost · amount
“Castelion has been awarded a $23.4M firm-fixed-price order from the U.S. Navy for the production and delivery of 50 Blackbeard early operational capability pre-production prototypes and 50 associated storage and shipping containers.”
- 4.
Castelion · May 13, 2026 · Supports: System milestone
“Castelion today announced a production framework agreement with the Department of War to manufacture and field Blackbeard, its first low-cost hypersonic strike missile”
- 5.Government recordDepartment of War Enhances Lethal Strike Capacity Through Partnership With New Entrants
U.S. Department of War · May 13, 2026 · Supports: System milestone
“Concurrently, once Castelion achieves testing and validation, the Department will award a two-year multi-year procurement contract for a minimum of 500 Blackbeard missiles annually, with options to extend for up to five years.”
- 6.
Defense Express · Apr 26, 2026 · Supports: Cost · amount
“353 Blackbeards for $156 million. This already gives initial cost of $442,000 per missile”
- 7.CompanyCastelion Awarded $105M U.S. Navy Contract to Field Blackbeard on the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2027
Castelion · Apr 24, 2026 · Supports: Government award · ceiling usd, System
“Today, Castelion announced that it was awarded a $105M contract by the U.S. Navy to continue efforts to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon onto the F/A-18”
- 8.Government recordFPDS: Delivery Order N6833526F1022 (Castelion Corporation)
FPDS-NG · Apr 24, 2026 · Supports: Government award
“DELIVERY ORDER N6833526F1022 (P00001) awarded to CASTELION CORPORATION, was modified for the amount of $104,998,566”
- 9.
Reuters · Apr 24, 2026 · Supports: Cost · amount
“the Navy plans to buy 4,500 air-launched hypersonic missiles for F/A-18E/Fs over the next five years, with an average unit cost of about $384,000”
- 10.Government recordContracts for Feb. 25, 2026
U.S. Department of War · Feb 25, 2026 · Supports: Government award, Government award · announced on, System milestone
“is awarded a $49,998,005 firm-fixed-price order (N6833526F1022) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N6833526G0006)”
- 11.
TechCrunch · Jul 3, 2025 · Supports: System milestone
“the military branch has requested $25 million under an initiative called Project HX3 to support the development and testing of an “affordable, mass-produced hypersonic weapon” called Blackbeard Ground Launch (GL).”
- 12.
The War Zone · Supports: System milestone
“In its proposed budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year, the Army is asking for $25 million to support work on the Blackbeard Ground Launch (Blackbeard GL) effort.”
- 13.Government recordUSAspending award N6833526F1022 (CASTELION CORPORATION)
USAspending.gov · Supports: Government award · obligated amount
“Recipient: CASTELION CORPORATION; Total obligation: $154,996,571.00; Base and all options value: $154,996,571.00”
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.