By Kevin Hendricks – The Paper.
The Pentagon has signed a first-of-its-kind production deal with Castelion Corporation to manufacture its Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile — and Sandoval County’s Project Ranger facility will be where those weapons get built.
The Defense Department — which the Trump administration refers to as the Department of War — announced that it reached a framework agreement with the Torrance, Calif.-based defense contractor guaranteeing a minimum of 500 Blackbeard missiles per year once testing and validation is complete, with options to extend up to five years. The department said it is also seeking authorizations and appropriations to purchase more than 12,000 Blackbeard missiles over five years.
A Castelion representative said production will take place at Project Ranger in Sandoval County, adding that the company expects to exceed its commitments to the state on both jobs and investment.
Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for New Mexico News Credit: Roberto E. Rosales
The department framed the Castelion agreement as part of a broader push to build what it calls an “Arsenal of Freedom,” signing parallel framework deals with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5 to launch a Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program. Together, those agreements position the department to procure more than 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles across the portfolios in three years beginning in 2027.
“We will deliver affordable mass for our warfighters at unprecedented speed,” said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, in a release. The department said the Castelion deal represents “the first production agreement of its kind for a low-cost hypersonic weapon.”
About Project Ranger
- Location: Unincorporated Sandoval County, approx. 2.9 miles west of Rio Rancho
- Size: 1,000-acre solid rocket motor manufacturing campus
- Expected operational: End of 2026, with production ramping through 2027
- Learn more or contact Castelion:castelion.com/contact-us