Castelion, a startup that makes hypersonic weapons, wins a $105 million Navy contract to integrate F/A-18s

Castelion is a small California-based defense startup that has been awarded a $105 million contract by the U.S. Navy to prepare its Blackbeard Hypersonic Missile for use aboard the Navy's F/A-18 fighter aircraft. This will allow the weapon to be deployed from the lab to the battlefield in the coming year.

The United States has spent the kind of money it would take to prevent China from annexing Taiwan. Blackbeard, unlike a missile launched from the ground, can be carried on a Navy aircraft carrier and fired by an F/A-18 jet that is flying off of a carrier deck. This puts it within striking distance of Chinese warships and missile sites.

Blackbeard is a cheap and fast-moving weapon that can be used by the United States to convince a Chinese commander to think twice about ordering an attack.

Schedule and affordability are the most important targets for our engineering process. This forces us to find 'creative solutions' - rather than waiting 52 weeks for an aerospace-rated computer we use automotive components that are backed up by billions of dollars in commercial investment each year, and these work", said Sean Pitt, Castelion co-founder, chief operating officer.

The Navy contract funds hardware and software integration, flight tests, and full system safety certification. This is the final major hurdle that the Navy must clear before it decides if they will buy Blackbeard for the carrier air wing in large quantities. Castelion anticipates clearing that hurdle, and having weapons ready to?field next year.

Castelion is building a manufacturing facility in New Mexico, Project Ranger. The company estimates the cost at $250 million. Castelion already has facilities in Texas, California, and Washington. The New Mexico campus, when fully operational, will be able to produce thousands of Blackbeard rockets per year. This capacity is expected by the end of the next year.

Pentagon budget documents released this week reveal that the Navy intends to buy 4,500 hypersonic air-launched missiles for F/A-18E/Fs in the next five-year period, at an average cost of $384,000 per unit -- a low price for weapons of the hypersonic class.

The contract award for Castelion was published in the database of government awards on Friday. (Reporting and editing by Mike Stone, Washington)

(source: Reuters)