Breaking News: US Army plans to give HIMARS rocket launcher capability to fire Blackbeard GL hypersonic missile.

In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget, the US Army has allocated $25 million under Project HX3 to support the continued development and integration of the Blackbeard Ground Launch (GL) hypersonic missile system into the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). This funding follows earlier prototype and testing activities and marks the formal transition of the system into the Hypersonics Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. The investment will be used to complete software validation, execute system flight tests, and finalize integration of the All Up Round and Canister (AUR+C) into existing launcher platforms.
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Castelion conducts its hypersonic missile testing by using several mobile launch vehicles, allowing it to conduct several flight test campaigns in parallel. This increases test frequency, allows for the collection of performance data across launches spaced over short intervals, and enables rapid identification and correction of technical issues. (Picture source: Castelion)

According to the US Army justification, the Blackbeard GL is designed to improve the HIMARS platform’s ability to deliver mid-range precision strikes against time-sensitive, mobile, or hardened targets, with an emphasis on lower per-missile costs and improved survivability in high-threat environments. The system is not presented as a replacement for the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), but as a tactical addition that can provide 80% of the capability expected from the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 4. Therefore, the Blackbeard GL will introduce a hypersonic capability to the existing HIMARS and Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM) architecture by integrating into modified launch pods. Its seeker-based terminal guidance allows for improved engagement of mobile or concealed targets in degraded conditions.

These features suggest its potential use in operational scenarios requiring faster response and greater precision than conventional artillery. Compared to PrSM Increment 4, which is expected to offer long-range maneuverable fires exceeding 1,000 kilometers using air-breathing propulsion, the Blackbeard GL aims to deliver approximately 80% of those capabilities but on a faster development timeline and with broader affordability. By doing so, it can potentially fill gaps in availability before Increment 4 reaches maturity. Moreover, while PrSM Increment 1 is already in service with a range of approximately 500 kilometers and GPS/INS guidance, and Increment 2 introduces seeker-based maritime targeting, Blackbeard GL situates itself between these systems in terms of range and performance while using existing infrastructure. It therefore offers a complementary capability, especially in scenarios where full PrSM Increment 4 performance is not required.

As reported by the X account AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD), the Blackbeard GL program is being developed by Castelion Corporation, a defense technology company founded in 2022 that focuses on fast, scalable production of hypersonic and high-speed weapons. The company has received over $100 million in private funding and approximately $22 million in government contracts. The program is governed by an Acquisition Decision Memorandum signed in May 2025, and an Abbreviated Capability Development Document (A-CDD) validated the same month. Castelion's approach emphasizes vertical integration and iterative design cycles. The company's size, estimated between 80 and 100 employees, allows it to operate differently from larger prime contractors and positions Blackbeard GL as a test case for rapid acquisition strategies. These organizational features may have an impact on delivery timelines and the scalability of production, which is a stated priority for the Army in addressing near-peer adversaries. While the missile is intended to serve as an interim solution for HIMARS, it is also designated as a primary munition for the future Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML), further underscoring the Army’s intention to use Blackbeard GL across multiple launch platforms.

The CAML platform, which is currently under development in both heavy (CAML-H) and medium (CAML-M) variants based on the M1075 and Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) chassis, is being designed to provide crew-optional autonomy for artillery units. These platforms are intended to be compatible with munitions such as PrSM, PAC-3, Tomahawk, and Blackbeard GL. Project Convergence demonstrations have already confirmed some of CAML’s key capabilities, including waypoint navigation and autonomous palletized resupply. Blackbeard GL’s compatibility with both HIMARS and CAML is presented in Army documents as a way to bridge current operational capabilities and future autonomous force structures. Unlike LRHW, which requires specific towed launchers and infrastructure due to its size and boost-glide configuration, Blackbeard GL’s canisterized design and MFOM integration allow it to be used flexibly across both legacy and emerging systems. This backward and forward compatibility may enable faster deployment and broader force integration, potentially allowing for distributed hypersonic fires from a variety of launch points.

The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), known as Dark Eagle, is a strategic-range boost-glide system that uses a two-stage solid rocket motor to launch the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) to ranges exceeding 2,700 kilometers. It is designed to conduct deep strikes against high-value targets, and it has been fielded in limited operational capacities since 2023. The LRHW’s deployment is tied to larger logistics infrastructure and its high cost and long range limit its suitability for more frequent or localized engagements. By comparison, Blackbeard GL deliberately trades down range and velocity to enhance survivability, lower cost, and adaptability to a broader set of tactical use cases. This difference suggests that Blackbeard GL could be used more routinely, and in greater numbers, than LRHW, particularly in contested environments where mobility and responsiveness are prioritized. The existence of both systems within the Army’s hypersonic roadmap illustrates a layered approach, with LRHW focused on strategic deterrence and Blackbeard GL aimed at high-tempo battlefield support.

The use of MFOM pods plays a critical logistical and operational role in integrating Blackbeard GL into existing platforms. MFOM architecture supports a variety of munitions, including GMLRS, ATACMS, and PrSM, and is compatible with both HIMARS and the tracked MLRS launcher. Blackbeard GL’s housing in a modified MFOM pod allows for direct launcher compatibility without physical changes to the firing platform. This design decision minimizes disruption to existing unit structures, simplifies training and maintenance, and permits parallel operation with other munition types. In the case of HIMARS, a wheeled, air-transportable launcher system widely deployed across US and allied forces, the addition of Blackbeard GL increases the range of effects that can be delivered from a single vehicle. Given that HIMARS supports only one MFOM pod per reload, the selection of which munition to carry—GMLRS, ATACMS, PrSM, or Blackbeard GL—will depend on the mission, further emphasizing the importance of cost-effective and flexible precision fires within the MFOM ecosystem.

The development roadmap for Blackbeard GL includes a proof-of-concept fixed-fin flight test using an adapted air-launched variant in early calendar year 2026, followed by fabrication of a production-representative prototype and a Blackbeard-specific MFOM pod. A live-fire demonstration of the ground-launched configuration is scheduled for 2027, with initial operational deliveries expected in 2028. This schedule places Blackbeard GL ahead of PrSM Increment 4 in terms of fielding, while allowing overlap with LRHW’s continued deployment and CAML’s expected operational readiness. This timeline, coupled with the Army’s formal May 2025 Acquisition Decision Memorandum and validated A-CDD, indicates institutional prioritization of Blackbeard GL as a bridging capability. While the missile will not match the speed or reach of LRHW, or the anticipated range and sensor suite of PrSM Increment 4, its integration into MFOM and use with both HIMARS and CAML may provide a versatile and scalable option for commanders requiring non-strategic hypersonic strike capabilities. The stated goal remains to introduce a cost-effective, survivable, and tactically useful precision fires solution to complement the Army’s evolving layered fires strategy.