Foreign media reports that the U.S. military is advancing low-cost hypersonic projectiles, with calculations sharper than those of the missiles themselves.

Foreign media report: The U.S. Navy is developing a low-cost hypersonic missile dubbed "Blackbeard," priced at just $385,000 per unit—significantly below the $3.25 million cost of Lockheed Martin’s LRASM anti-ship missile. The program aims to deploy over 12,000 units across the military between fiscal years 2028 and 2031. Developed by Castelion, a defense company based in California, the missile travels at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and can be launched from carrier-based aircraft to strike both naval and land targets.

Experts analyze that the missile’s low unit cost enables the U.S. military to build extensive stockpiles, facilitating saturation attacks designed to exhaust Chinese warships’ defensive interceptors, thereby creating opportunities for more advanced anti-ship missiles to penetrate defenses. The system also poses a potential threat to China’s coastal anti-ship missile batteries and air defense networks; however, there is ongoing debate regarding whether U.S. carrier-based aircraft can safely close to the required engagement range.

The Navy has already placed an initial order for 50 units in June and followed up with an additional 444 pre-production units in September, aiming to achieve initial operational capability this year or by 2027.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878848738019611/

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