Castelion @Castelion

Building hypersonic missiles at scale is hard. Building them affordably enough to matter is harder. Our Co-Founder and CEO @hargsb joined @mariogabriele at @thegeneralistco to talk through why America's deterrence gap is a manufacturing problem, what it took to go from concept to 26 test flights in 2.5 years, and what comes next. youtu.be/OfuWpsFH1bs?si…

"I want to leave a safe world for my kids. This is what I got." Bryon Hargis (@hargsb) is the founder and CEO of @Castelion, a defense startup building hypersonic missiles the way SpaceX builds rockets: fast, iteratively, and cheap enough to produce in quantity.  His conviction is that America does not have a weapons problem. It has a manufacturing and learning rate problem. And that gap is more dangerous than any single technology demonstration. Timestamps (0:00) Intro (4:01) Why America needs hypersonic missiles (12:05) The missing middle ground in deterrence (19:40) How hypersonics differ from ballistic missiles (25:05) The economics of defensive vs. offensive systems (28:21) How SpaceX differs from traditional aerospace (37:40) Why Bryon chose to build in defense over space (42:42) Key factors that drove Castelion’s success (1:01:06) The importance of lower costs and quicker manufacturing (1:10:04) Book recommendations Thank you to the partners who make this possible @dottechdomains: An identity for builders at their core: go.tech/thegeneralistnl @ahrefs Brand Radar: Find your brand in AI results: ahrefs.com/generalist @withpersona: Trusted identity verification for any use case: withpersona.com/generalist

Our 1,000-acre hypersonic manufacturing facility in New Mexico will produce munitions at the volume America needs. 🇺🇸 We're on track to start production stress tests by year end, giving us pre-planned time to work out production kinks before delivering to the warfighter. This is what moving fast looks like. Join us castelion.com/careers/

Eight Altimeter portfolio companies on the 2026 @SVDG_official NatSec100, the annual ranking of the top venture-backed companies shaping U.S. national security by Silicon Valley Defense Group, in partnership with @jpmorgan. Congrats to @anduriltech, @boomsupersonic, @Castelion, @databricks, @HadrianInc, @K2SpaceCo, @OpenAI, and @VulcanElements. 🎉

Honored to be recognized among the Top 10 on the 2026 #NATSEC100. Thank you @SVDG_official & @JPMorgan’s 2026 NatSec100 for this recognition, and for the work you do to track where this ecosystem is delivering. Proud to be counted among the companies turning defense innovation into a production reality.

Some gave all. On this Memorial Day, we honor them.

Saronic and @Castelion are joining forces to advance critical national security objectives at the intersection of maritime and hypersonic capabilities. Saronic's 180-ft autonomous ship, Marauder. Castelion's hypersonic vehicles. Together, we are delivering the future of Naval power from the Foundry to the Fleet at the speed and scale necessary to deter our adversaries. Stay tuned.

@Castelion and @Saronic are joining forces. Saronic's Marauder. Castelion's hypersonic vehicles. More to come.🇺🇸

Four "disruptive new entrants" will deliver over 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles over three years under a new deal with the Pentagon, while @Castelion will deliver at least 500 Blackbeard low-cost hypersonic missiles annually after it completes testing. tectonicdefense.com/the-pentagon-a…

Our CEO and Co-Founder @hargsb is joining @tectonicdefense and Payload at Inside the Dome for a conversation on “The Hype for Hypersonics.” Today at 12:00PM

I'm grateful to the @DeptofWar, @DoWCTO, and @USDASDuffey for the trust they have placed in @Castelion. We are working with maximum urgency to deliver capability our Armed Forces can leverage to keep America safe.

Department of War CTO @DoWCTO

3 weeks ago

The @DeptofWar has reached new framework agreements with a slate of disruptive new entrants to aggressively expand the United States military’s lethal cruise missile and hypersonic missile strike capabilities.   Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) Program: • Anduril •

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Low-Cost. As it should be. @anduriltech @Castelion and disruptive new entrants are showing what’s possible. 🇺🇸💪🚀

Department of War CTO @DoWCTO

3 weeks ago

The @DeptofWar has reached new framework agreements with a slate of disruptive new entrants to aggressively expand the United States military’s lethal cruise missile and hypersonic missile strike capabilities.   Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) Program: • Anduril •

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Incredible. 500 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles from @Castelion, followed by another 12,000 units if Congress appropriates monies. This team doesn't miss!

Castelion @Castelion

3 weeks ago

News from @DeptofWar about commitment to new entrants and Low-Cost Hypersonic Missiles: Once @Castelion achieves testing and validation, the DoW will award a multi-year contract for a minimum of 500 Blackbeard missiles annually, while seeking the necessary authorizations and

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“Once @Castelion achieves testing and validation, the Department will award a multi-year contract for a minimum of 500 Blackbeard missiles annually, while seeking the necessary authorizations and appropriations for over 12,000 total missiles over five years.”

Department of War CTO @DoWCTO

3 weeks ago

The @DeptofWar has reached new framework agreements with a slate of disruptive new entrants to aggressively expand the United States military’s lethal cruise missile and hypersonic missile strike capabilities.   Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) Program: • Anduril •

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The @DeptofWar has reached new framework agreements with a slate of disruptive new entrants to aggressively expand the United States military’s lethal cruise missile and hypersonic missile strike capabilities.   Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) Program: • Anduril • CoAspire • Leidos • Zone 5 Low-Cost Hypersonic Missiles: • Castelion This effort positions the Department to procure 10,000+ LCCMs over three years, starting in 2027. Once Castelion achieves testing and validation, the Department will award a multi-year contract for a minimum of 500 Blackbeard missiles annually, while seeking the necessary authorizations and appropriations for over 12,000 total missiles over five years. These agreements will rapidly field effective and affordable kinetic mass for the Joint Force at scale, acting directly on the mandate from President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to strengthen America’s Arsenal of Freedom.