The United States is moving forward with deploying a new generation of hypersonic weapons on mobile launchers. Defense technology firm Castellion announced on Friday that it has signed a contract with the U.S. Army to integrate its Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon into existing military systems, according to Reuters.
The initiative marks a new phase in the U.S. hypersonic weapons race. Both the United States and China are developing arms capable of traveling at over five times the speed of sound while evading traditional defense systems.
Castellion plans to mount these weapons on the Army’s widely used HIMARS mobile launcher system. The system gained global attention due to its use in the Ukraine war and is now considered one of the U.S. Army’s key field artillery assets.
Other American defense companies, including Stratolaunch, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, are also advancing hypersonic technology. Analysts predict these projects could generate multi-billion-dollar military contracts in the near future.
While Castellion has not disclosed the financial details of the contract, President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal sets aside $25 million for similar projects. Blackbeard is being designed for rapid, cost-effective production, with the company aiming to produce thousands of units annually at a few hundred thousand dollars per weapon.
Experts say this development will expand U.S. defense capabilities and allow the Pentagon to deliver more effective strikes at lower cost. Meanwhile, China and Russia are accelerating their own hypersonic programs, already producing missiles capable of maneuvering at multiple angles while flying at several times the speed of sound. This has sparked a new global hypersonic arms race among the three major powers.
