Castelion will begin integrating its Blackbeard hypersonic weapon with the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcon under a contract modification from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The work adds an Air Force fighter to a programme already advancing Blackbeard integration for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, although no operational procurement decision for F-16 units has been disclosed.
The modification expands Castelion’s existing AFRL work and establishes a separate F-16 integration path rather than extending the Navy’s Super Hornet contract. The company has not disclosed the value of the modification, the schedule, the test aircraft or the location of planned activity.
Platform-specific requirements, certification and testing will determine how the weapon is integrated on the F-16. Experience from the parallel F/A-18E/F effort could support the work, but does not establish that the two paths will follow the same process or timeline.
In September, AFRL added $16.4 million to an existing Castelion contract, increasing its reported value from $20.9 million to $37.2 million. The latest activity gives Blackbeard a potential multi-service pathway, while leaving its intended transition from research and demonstration to operational F-16 deployment unresolved.