Castelion to integrate hypersonic Blackbeard weapon with U.S. military

US defense startup Castelion announced on Friday that it will integrate its affordable, long-range hypersonic offensive weapons with operational Army and Navy platforms.

Under the recently signed contract agreement, Castelion will work with both military branches to integrate the “Blackbeard” hypersonic weapon system into operational platforms and participate in live-fire tests.

The new weapons technology will enhance the War Department’s efforts to evaluate and accelerate new, cost-effective strike capabilities for conventional deterrence, the company said.

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“These integration contracts demonstrate that affordability and speed are critical to modern deterrence,” Bryon Hargis, CEO of Castelion, wrote in a statement. “Castellion leads the design market for manufacturability and rapid repeatability, enabling the War Department to move faster from concept to capability.”

“Blackbeard” is Castelion’s first long-range hypersonic assault weapon, designed for mass production and rapid fielding once integration and testing are complete.

The company announced on Friday that the Ministry of War had awarded the new contracts. (Reuters/Al-Drago, Archive/Reuters Photos)

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The system uses integrated propulsion and guidance technology to deliver high performance at a fraction of the cost of legacy weapons, which the company said supports the War Department’s goal of creating a widespread, reliable non-nuclear deterrent.

Castelion, founded just three years ago, is headquartered in Torrance, California, with additional facilities in Texas.

The company’s first weapon system, Blackbird, went from a “blank paper design” to more than 20 developmental test flights in less than 18 months, which Castillion said demonstrates its leadership in developing fast, scalable weapons.

The tech startup was less than a decade old at the time of the deal with the Pentagon. (iStock/iStock)

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In May, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was working to stay one step ahead of China amid an arms race with the communist country and adversaries like Russia and Iran.

Hegseth told Fox News anchor Will Kain that the Pentagon is building a US military that can deter future conflict between the two countries.

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“We don’t want this conflict,” Hegseth said. “You’ve shown how big they are.” “president [Donald] Trump has a great relationship with Xi Jinping, and we think that’s a good thing. … We who are in the background are trying to say that we would always prefer to resolve this peacefully. But we will do this by being as strong as possible to confront their threat at every turn.”

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.