U.S. Navy Moves Blackbeard Hypersonic Strike Weapon Into Production

The article says the U.S. Navy is moving Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic strike weapon into production under a delivery order worth up to $200 million. It frames the award as a major step from early operational capability toward fleet use, with work centered on manufacturing, testing, and delivery. The piece also emphasizes Blackbeard’s low-cost, high-rate production model and its planned integration with carrier aviation. Overall, the article argues the program could give the Navy a longer-range strike option at scale.