The US Navy has awarded Castelion a $105 million contract to integrate the Blackbeard hypersonic missile with the F/A-18. Designed as a long-range, high-speed weapon, it enhances survivability and rapid strike capability against advanced defenses. The system is part of the MACE program, which aims to procure thousands of affordable missiles. Compared to expensive systems like LRASM, Blackbeard offers significantly lower cost and improved scalability.
