Corroborated contract 2026-09-30
The Army signed Other Transaction Agreements with Anduril, Castelion, Lockheed Martin, Mach Industries, and RTX on September 29 to develop Precision Strike Missile Increment 4 prototypes. The awards, of undisclosed value, aim to field advanced long-range strike capabilities beyond the current PrSM baseline. Increment 4 will likely incorporate extended range and terminal guidance improvements.
Corroborated contract 2026-09-14 €182m
The U.S. Navy awarded Castelion a delivery order valued at up to $200 million on 14 September for the initial production lot of Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapons. The contract follows a separate June order for 50 prototype rounds. The order came from Portfolio 23, a Naval Air Systems Command rapid-acquisition office.
Why it matters: Castelion is betting it can deliver carrier-launched hypersonics cheaper than the primes—and the Navy is buying enough to find out if that's true or hype.
Corroborated contract 2026-08-25 €82m
The US Navy has awarded Castelion Corp. $89.9 million to advance the Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon toward Early Operational Capability by 2028, Naval News reports. The order funds engineering, technical, logistics and manufacturing work supporting 50 early-capability weapons and the missile's transition to a formal Navy Program of Record.
Why it matters: Castelion just raised $1 billion at a $13 billion valuation; this Navy contract suggests the hypersonic startup is transitioning from capital story to actual production customer — a rare feat in the sector.
Corroborated funding 2026-08-20
Castelion, the Torrance-based hypersonic missile developer founded by former SpaceX executives, has raised $1 billion in a Series C round valuing the company at $13 billion. The round includes $800 million in equity and $250 million in committed credit. JPMorgan Chase, Andreessen Horowitz and others participated. The company aims to produce low-cost hypersonic weapons and expand into longer-range strike and missile defence systems.
Why it matters: A $13 billion valuation for a pre-production missile start-up signals that American investors now treat hypersonics as a category with venture-scale exit potential — a financing model Europe has yet to replicate in deep-strike munitions.