American technology defense company Saronic Technologies (AI naval drone developer) and defense startup Castelion (specializing in hypersonic technologies) in June 11 press release announced plans to conduct 2027 demonstration of affordable hypersonic weapons integrated onto autonomous surface vessels.
This involves Castelion Blackbeard hypersonic missiles arming Saronic Marauder naval drone. Companies call such integration first of its kind and emphasize this is most effective adversary deterrence option.
Read more: Only 28.5% of U.S. Air Force F-35As Fully Combat-Ready, Navy's F-35C Hits Rock Bottom at 15.3% While Fix Costs $13.7B Over Five Years
Both companies have quite interesting development implementation experience at genuinely impressive speed — Castelion needed less than two and a half years to design Blackbeard hypersonic missile from scratch, manufacture it and conduct over 25 flight tests. Saronic in less than a year designed Marauder naval drone, conducted sea trials and is currently building three more hulls.
Now companies face challenge of conducting hypersonic missile flight tests from naval drone as quickly as possible. For this, as emphasized, land range limitations arising during operation must be overcome to then move to sea testing.
This integration will make Castelion Blackbeard hypersonic missile genuinely universal weapon operable from ground (HIMARS missile system), air (F/A-18 fighter) and naval platforms.
U.S. plans for this missile are genuinely large-scale — previously in May Castelion received contract for 1,000 cheap Blackbeard hypersonic missiles with plan to overall order as many as 12,000 missiles over five years.
Regarding Saronic Marauder naval drone, this is large naval drone capable of transporting up to 150 tons of payload.
Read more: No Magic, Just a Rifle: How Brazil’s Volunteer Became a Ukrainian Soldier
