- Castelion has launched Project Ranger, a 1,000-acre hypersonic manufacturing campus in New Mexico to support large-scale production of U.S. hypersonic strike systems by the end of 2026.
- The $220 million private investment is expected to create about 300 manufacturing jobs and expand U.S. industrial capacity for hypersonic weapons production.
Castelion announced the launch of Project Ranger, a 1,000-acre hypersonic manufacturing campus in Sandoval County, New Mexico, aimed at supporting high-cadence production of U.S. hypersonic strike systems, the company said.
The project represents more than $220 million in private investment and is expected to create about 300 manufacturing jobs as the company scales domestic production capacity for advanced weapons systems. Castelion estimates the site will generate roughly $650 million in economic impact for New Mexico over the next decade. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by state, local, and military officials, including New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, U.S. Army Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, and NAVAIR Rapid Capabilities Cell Director Paul McGinty.
According to Castelion, Project Ranger will serve as an integrated campus for solid rocket motor production, static testing, and final assembly of hypersonic weapons. The company said the first building will be completed this summer, with all 21 planned structures operational by the end of 2026, enabling continuous production workflows rather than limited prototype manufacturing.
“This is economic development in New Mexico—high-tech companies bringing high-paying jobs,” Governor Lujan Grisham said at the ceremony, adding that the state’s workforce and infrastructure were key factors in Castelion’s site selection.
Castelion Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Bryon Hargis said the facility is designed to address one of the central bottlenecks in U.S. hypersonic programs: the lack of industrial-scale manufacturing capacity. “Project Ranger represents a renaissance in American manufacturing, delivering the advanced systems our country needs,” Hargis said. “We chose New Mexico for its technical talent and its long history of scientific and defense work.”
The campus will support production of hypersonic strike systems that rely on solid rocket motors and boost-glide architectures, a category of weapons that the United States has prioritized as it seeks to match and counter deployments by Russia and China. Unlike traditional missile programs, hypersonic weapons require tightly integrated manufacturing, testing, and assembly processes to meet operational timelines, an issue that has slowed previous efforts.
U.S. officials have repeatedly identified industrial capacity as a limiting factor in moving hypersonic weapons from testing into sustained deployment. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are all pursuing separate hypersonic programs, many of which depend on shared suppliers for propulsion and materials. By consolidating production activities at a single large-scale site, Castelion said it intends to reduce lead times and enable repeatable manufacturing cycles.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich said the facility would support both economic growth and national security. “This project will strengthen our national security, grow our state’s economy, and create over 300 permanent jobs,” Heinrich said, noting that New Mexico already hosts major defense research laboratories and military installations.
State economic development officials said the project reflects a broader effort to position New Mexico as a center for advanced defense manufacturing. Rob Black, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, said the investment expands local career pathways in high-skill manufacturing tied to national security programs.
Local governments and regional economic groups, including Sandoval County, the City of Rio Rancho, and the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, supported the project by coordinating land use, infrastructure planning, and workforce development. Sandoval County officials said the site offers the space and logistics needed for large-scale rocket manufacturing while remaining close to existing technical labor pools.
Hypersonic weapons are viewed by U.S. planners as a core element of future deterrence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and European theaters, where adversaries have already fielded operational systems.
The facility’s completion timeline also aligns with planned U.S. hypersonic deployments later this decade, suggesting Project Ranger could become a central node in the country’s long-term production network rather than a single-program site.