The Pentagon must respond quickly to threats and new adversaries, including technologies like hypersonic weapons. However, developing defense hardware is relatively easy, and several small companies are looking to revolutionize the industry by offering a range of innovative systems with lower costs and quicker development cycles than traditional defense contractors. Castelion, a company founded by a team of ex-SpaceX employees and backed by investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Lavrock Ventures, is trying to make itself a player in the field. The startup has now completed its prototype missile test, aiming to develop complete weapon systems—including a hypersonic missile, a control station, and a secure data link—at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.
The testing of the Castelion system is part of a broader trend in which startups are challenging established defense giants for government contracts. While many of these startups still have a long way to go before offering fully deployable systems, their appearance signals a potential change in the Defense Department’s approach to technology.
While the Pentagon has expressed interest in working with nontraditional companies in recent years to bring innovation and speed to its development programs, it has struggled to do so effectively. A Congressional panel has suggested that the Defense Department needs to revamp how it awards contracts and provides support for nontraditional companies to get the most out of them. It has also called for the Pentagon to increase funding for research and development in areas that may have potential as a commercial business.
One area where the Defense Department could improve is by providing more venues for testing and prototyping. This would allow small companies to work with the Pentagon early in developing their technologies, reducing delays and ultimately making the military more agile.
Castelion is focused on developing hypersonic weapons, which the Pentagon has prioritized to maintain a credible deterrent against China and other potential future adversaries. Hypersonic weapons give missiles a big boost in range without a significant increase in energy consumption, and they are capable of maneuvering, so it is hard for adversaries to predict where they will strike.
As part of its strategic mission, Castelion focuses on building a test platform available for customer testing and in-house experimentation. The company is preparing to build its first systems in 2023 and hopes to eventually become a supplier of complete hypersonic weapon systems.
The Castelion team has a strong track record in the aerospace industry, and its founding members—mechanical Engineer Bryon Hargis, Sean Pitt, who led SpaceX’s global sales for launch and human spaceflight, and Andrew Kreitz, who ran investments at Goldman Sachs, and served as a senior director of government sales at SpaceX—are known for their success in the field.
