# Project HX3 — All Up Round and Canister (AUR+C)

**Program element:** 0604182A — Hypersonics  
**Project:** HX3  
**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/HX3  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604182A

## Summary

Project HX3 — All Up Round and Canister (AUR+C) requests — in FY2027, 0.0% of the $82.9M requested for program element 0604182A, down 100% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request.

**Markets:** Guided Missiles (mfg) — matched on the project title only, and no market size is quoted.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 25.0 |

> 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 HX3 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 currently exists 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. The goal of Blackbeard - GL is to deliver approximately 80% of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 4 capability at a significantly reduced cost. 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.

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

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIMARS Extended Range Demo (HERD) | — | 25.0 | — | −100% | — |

> 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)

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** These efforts transition to Project DP1 in FY 2027

**FY2026 plans — current year.** FY 2026 dollars will fund a critical fixed-fin flight demonstration using a modified Government Furnished Property MFOM pod. This demonstration will validate key aerodynamic and control surface performance parameters, assess system stability, and collect data essential for refining the Blackbeard - GL design. Furthermore, funding will support the build of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) prototypes to begin evaluating manufacturability and integration with HIMARS systems. Successful completion of these risk reduction activities enables a transition to more advanced prototype development in subsequent years.

## 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 HX3 (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.*