Overview
- Castelion says it received its first platform-integration awards from the Army and Navy to prepare Blackbeard for live-fire flight testing starting in 2026, with potential fielding in 2027 if milestones are met.
- Army fiscal 2026 budget documents request $25 million to transition Blackbeard Ground Launch toward engineering and manufacturing development, including integration into HIMARS, a plan that still requires congressional approval.
- Service budget language states Blackbeard GL is not a Long Range Hypersonic Weapon replacement and targets roughly 80% of the desired PrSM Increment 4 effects at significantly lower cost.
- The Army outlines Blackbeard GL as a primary munition for the future CAML launcher with interim compatibility on existing HIMARS, with a proof-of-concept demo planned for January–March 2026 and 10 prototypes slated for late FY2026 HIMARS flight tests.
- Castelion touts mass production at a target cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per round, building on earlier ONR trade-study work as the United States accelerates hypersonic development alongside efforts by China and Russia.