US Startup Wins Navy Contract to Integrate Hypersonic Missiles into Fighter Jets

California-based defense startup Castelion has won a $105 million contract from the U.S. Navy to integrate its 'Blackbeard' hypersonic missiles into F/A-18 carrier-based fighters. This move paves the way for the weapon to move from the laboratory to the battlefield next year. Unlike land-based ballistic missiles, the 'Blackbeard' can be launched from F/A-18s, enabling strikes against Chinese missile bases and warships that are difficult for land-based weapons to reach. Because 'Blackbeard' flies at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and is affordable enough for mass procurement, the U.S. aims to force Chinese military commanders to think twice before ordering an attack. Sean Pitt, co-founder and COO of Castelion, told Reuters that progress and affordability are the most important goals of their engineering process. The contract will fund hardware and software integration, flight testing, and safety certifications. Castelion is also investing $250 million to build a manufacturing campus in New Mexico, aiming to produce thousands of missiles annually by the end of next year. Recent budget documents show the Navy plans to purchase 4,500 air-launched hypersonic missiles over the next five years at an average cost of $384,000 each.