# Project DP1 — HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD)

**Program element:** 0604182A — Hypersonics  
**Project:** DP1  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A/DP1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A

## Summary

Project DP1 — HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD) requests $82.9M in FY2027, 100% of the $82.9M requested for program element 0604182A — a new start, with no prior-year and no current-year money. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request, 1 new this cycle. Castelion is the largest named R-3 performer at $41.0M, 49% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2027 | Request | 82.9 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 107.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 38.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 28.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 28.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0604182A; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project DP1 buys

The mission of Blackbeard - Ground Launch (GL) is to attack/neutralize/suppress/destroy using an advanced missile delivered precision fires (seeker based) against time sensitive moving targets and hardened targets at a much-reduced cost per missile than current existing options in the Army inventory. Blackbeard - GL will be an affordable, mass-produced advanced weapon designed for mid-range precision. The Army will leverage advancements in technology, materials, and cost-effective production methods to provide superior capabilities through fast, iterative design cycles, flexible hardware development, and modern manufacturing practices. Blackbeard - GL will offer a complementary but enhanced survivable advanced precision strike capability, utilizing existing Army launcher platforms. Blackbeard - GL is not a replacement to the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapons (LRHW) as it will not reach similar velocities nor range. Key features include integration into modified Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Family of Munitions (MFOM) pods and enhanced target discrimination capabilities. Funding will support development, system flight tests, software validation, and full integration into the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platform, which will expand HIMARS lethality. Blackbeard - GL is a companion development to the Army's Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) effort which holds the potential to replace the base HIMARS launcher platform amongst other launchers. While envisioned as a primary munition for CAML, Blackbeard - GL is designed to be compatible with existing HIMARS platforms as an interim solution. The HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD) project supports the Army's Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) modernization priority by demonstrating the feasibility and performance of integrating a qualified, extended-range Blackbeard - Ground Launch (GL) advanced strike missile into the HIMARS launcher system. This demonstration will assess the potential to achieve a significantly reduced cost for high-speed strike capability complementing existing PrSM capabilities.

**R-3 lines of work:** Management Services; Product Development; Test and Evaluation.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Castelion | 41.0 | 49% |
| Program Management Support | 8.3 | 10% |
| Other Management Support | 5.4 | 6.5% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD) | — | — | 82.9 | new | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A/DP1/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD) — NEW START

FY 2027 efforts will include the Castelion Flight Termination System (FTS) Implementation which includes labor for design, qualification, testing, program management, and materials for 10 units. The FY 2027 efforts also consist of continuing the Blackbeard - GL Option Award to include a test readiness TEM, Production-Representative…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A/DP1/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0604182A project DP1 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604182A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*