Blackbeard GL hypersonic missile project for MRLS and HIMARS systems
The Pentagon is once again planning to expand the ammunition loadout of the M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems. The Blackbeard GL missile is currently being developed as a supplement to existing and future munitions. This will be a relatively simple and cheap hypersonic munition capable of attacking ground targets at a distance of hundreds of kilometers.
Plans and work
The idea of creating a new missile with increased performance for MLRS and HIMARS emerged and took shape no later than 2022-23. Soon, the Pentagon selected a contractor and issued an order for the necessary work. The project was planned to be completed in the minimum time. In this regard, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) was assigned to oversee it.
The developer of the new project was the California-based Castelion Corporation. It was founded in 2022 by several former employees of the rocket and space company SpaceX who wanted to develop simple but effective rocket weapons. Soon after starting operations, Castelion offered its services to the Pentagon.
In 2023, the Army awarded Castelion a contract to develop a new MLRS missile, codenamed Blackbeard Ground Launched, for $2024 million in fiscal year 118,7.
Experimental rocket for the Blackbeard GL project
At the beginning of 2025, the company reported its latest successes. It reported that it had managed to attract private investments in the amount of about $100 million. In addition, in the near future, it was to master several tens of millions more from the military department. However, the details of such contracts were not specified.
The Pentagon and the US Congress are currently working on a draft military budget for the 2026 fiscal year. According to published data, work on the Blackbeard GL project will continue next year. They want to spend $25 million on it.
The requested funds will be used to continue the development of the project and prepare for the next test launches. Apparently, in 2025-26 the Blackbeard missile will not reach the next stage of testing, following which it will be able to enter service. The launch of serial production is also not planned yet.
Thus, the development of the new missile has been going on for more than a year and will require the same amount of time. The transition to the next stages should be expected no earlier than the beginning of the 2027 financial year, i.e. the fall of the 2026 calendar year. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that the complexity of the project and other factors will shift these deadlines to the right.
Experimental rockets
Castelion began developing the Blackbeard GL project at the end of 2023. The work was organized in such a way that the first results were presented just a few months after the start of the project. However, the final results of the project have not yet been determined.
M142 MLRS and transport and launch containers with missiles
By the spring of 2024, the company had developed the first version of the advanced missile. On March 9, the first test launch of such a product took place. Later, several other versions of such ammunition were created and also test launches were conducted. During such events, data was collected for analysis and comparison.
Following the launches, the developer company published various data and photographs. However, the most interesting and valuable information has not yet been disclosed. In addition, the paths for further development of Blackbeard have not been specified. In all cases, Kastelion made do with general words about successful tests and obtaining the desired information.
However, the company has revealed some of its plans. In 2025 and 2026, it plans to develop and test new iterations of the rocket. The appearance of a full-fledged Blackbeard GL project, meeting all customer requirements, is planned for 2027.
Goals and Solutions
The goal of the Blackbeard GL project is to create a new surface-to-surface missile compatible with the M270 and M142 multiple launch rocket systems. To improve combat performance, it is necessary to ensure hypersonic flight speed. At the same time, it is necessary to simplify and reduce the cost of the munition so that its production and use are economically feasible.
Castelion has reportedly proposed a single-stage solid-fuel rocket with a ballistic trajectory. It promises that the Blackbeard GL will achieve 80% of the potential of the PrSM Increment 4 prospective rocket currently under development in terms of its overall performance.
Launch of the serial GMLRS rocket
The exact appearance of the "Blackbeard" is still unknown. The developer company showed experimental missiles, but did not report how similar to them the full-fledged ammunition will be. Perhaps, so far, it was only a matter of demonstrating and testing the technologies on the basis of which the combat missile will be developed.
The Blackbeard GL prototypes had a traditional missile appearance with an elongated body and tail fins. However, they differed from each other in certain details. Some of the prototypes were similar to the stages of the Standard Missile anti-aircraft missiles. It is unknown which of these features will be retained in the next stages of the project.
The Blackbeard GL missile will be hypersonic. This means that the maximum flight speed will exceed 5 M. However, the developer does not disclose the planned flight profile, nor does it say at what stage the hypersonic speed will be reached. It cannot be ruled out that the maximum acceleration will be achieved only on the descending part of the trajectory.
The flight range also remains unknown. Probably, in this parameter the missile will be superior to the GMLRS and ATACMS series missiles, but inferior to the newer PrSM. One way or another, the "Blackbeard" will fly for hundreds of kilometers.
PrSM Incr. 1 missile tests
The new munition will be compatible with existing launchers. A standardized transport and launch container of standard dimensions will be created for it. The container will be able to accommodate at least 2-3 tubular guides with missiles.
New opportunities
The goal of the Blackbeard GL project is to create a new missile for the M270 and M142 multiple launch rocket systems. This munition will complement the existing and expand the combat capabilities of the MLRS, as well as optimize the process of performing combat missions. It is easy to understand how its appearance will affect the potential of the American jet artillery.
At present, the ammunition load of the MLRS and HIMARS includes ammunition of three families. Thus, to attack targets at ranges of about 90 km, the GMLRS series of corrected rockets are used. In addition, the old ATACMS operational-tactical missiles are still in service. The most advanced products of this family have a firing range of up to 300 km.
Recently, a new operational-tactical missile PrSM Increment 1 began to enter service. It is designed to attack targets at ranges of up to 500 km. The standard-sized TPK holds two missiles. The anti-ship PrSM Increment 2 or LBASM is being created on the basis of this missile. It will receive a full-fledged homing head and will be able to fly 1000 km. The next project Increment 3 will provide for the improvement of onboard electronics, the introduction of new warheads, etc.
The expected appearance of the future PrSM Incr. 4 missile
The PrSM Incr. 4 missile will likely display the same basic characteristics as its predecessors. It will also receive an air-breathing engine and will possibly be hypersonic. Preliminary work on a fifth modification of the PrSM is also underway, but the Pentagon has not yet decided on its wishes.
The new Blackbeard GL missile will be vaguely similar to the PrSM Incr. 1/2/3. However, it should have increased speed and, most likely, reduced range. It will also be simpler in design and cheaper.
Thus, in the future, American MLRS will use three families of ammunition with different characteristics. The new Blackbeard GL missile will most likely occupy the niche of the current ATACMS and even expand it towards increasing the launch range. In turn, the PrSM missile family will be used to solve more complex tasks requiring a range of up to 500 km or more.
Near term
According to recent reports, Castelion Corp. is actively developing a new missile and plans to complete it in a few years. By the end of the decade, the Blackbeard GL product could reach production, enter service with the US Army, and improve the capabilities of its missile systems.
However, such plans still raise questions and doubts. The project is faced with fairly complex tasks and is given a limited time. In addition, the customer is trying to save money and is limiting development budgets. It is unclear whether it will be possible to create the desired product under such conditions.
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