# Castelion Assesses F-16 Hypersonic Integration

Castelion will assess whether its Blackbeard hypersonic missile can be integrated onto the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 through a modification to an existing Air Force Research Laboratory contract. The modification’s value has not been disclosed; the underlying program is valued at **$37.2 million** and is scheduled to run through June 2028. Separately, U.S. Navy plans call for more than 4,000 missiles in fiscal years 2028–2031, signaling possible future production and integration demand rather than a confirmed procurement award.

- The integration assessment is a near-term development activity under an existing AFRL contract; its modification value and specific deliverables are not disclosed.
- The Navy’s FY2028–2031 plans may point to a larger future market for Blackbeard production and platform integration, but do not establish a contract award for the planned quantity.
- Contractors pursuing related work can use the assessment and stated Navy plans as indicators of potential demand for missile development, aircraft integration, and production capacity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 27, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)
- U.S. Navy (USN)

### Vendors
- Castelion (Contractor on the AFRL development contract)

### Sources
- [RT @velitesgear | Full Text Article: https://t.co/HGfJVXDGIk | Author: @militarnyi Blackbeard Hypersonic Missile to Be Integrated on F-16 Fighters 
Castelion will assess the feasibility of integrating its Blackbeard hypersonic missile onto the F-16 multirole combat aircraft.

The](https://x.com/velitesgear/status/2115020330456469958) - twitter-defense