Florence, AZ — Phoenix Business Journal reported on October 30 that Castelion Corporation is the company behind “Project Ranger.” The California-based defense startup plans to build a hypersonic missile manufacturing and testing facility on 1,105 acres north of Florence. The Business Journal obtained Arizona State Land Department documents identifying Castelion as the previously undisclosed company behind the project — information that had not been revealed during months of public hearings.
Pinal County Approvals Clear Path for Development
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved three separate land-use applications for Project Ranger on October 15, following unanimous recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission on September 18.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment (Resolution No. 2025-PZ-PA-017-25)
The Board re-designated the 1,105-acre property from Moderate Low Density Residential and Employment to a ‘Special District’ designation. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with no stipulations, and the Board approved it as presented with no stipulations.
Industrial Rezoning (Ordinance No. 2025-PZ-020-25)
The Board rezoned the property from General Rural (GR) to Industrial Zoning (I-3) District. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with two stipulations requiring the applicant to obtain all necessary federal, state, county and local permits before development. The Board approved the rezone with those two stipulations.
Planned Area Development Overlay (Ordinance No. 2025-PZ-PD-014-25)
The Board granted a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay to modify the development standards of the I-3 Industrial zoning district to develop a manufacturing facility on the 1,105 acres. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with 15 stipulations covering landscape buffers, riparian habitat protection, invasive species management, air quality standards, road improvements, and floodplain compliance. The Board approved the PAD with all 15 stipulations.
Public Hearings Omitted Key Details
Neither the public hearings nor documents published by Pinal County mentioned missiles, defense manufacturing, or Castelion Corporation. Jordan Rose of Rose Law Group, the land use attorney representing the project, described it as a manufacturing facility that should be one of Pinal County’s largest employers.
At the October 15 Board of Supervisors meeting, Rose said the project has removed “any noxious uses” and assured supervisors “we will not be able to develop a vehicle storage yard. The ultimate purchaser cannot develop a junk salvage yard. It cannot be developed into a landfill. It cannot be developed into a transfer station. It cannot be developed as an adult business and it cannot be developed as a prison.” Neither Rose, county staff, nor elected officials mentioned defense manufacturing or missile production during the hearing.
Site plans showing facility layouts were available since the September Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The documents included conceptual drawings with buildings and infrastructure, but they never described the site as a missile manufacturing and testing facility.
About Castelion Corporation
Castelion is a U.S. defense technology company that develops long-range, hypersonic strike weapons. The company was founded in late 2022 and is headquartered in Torrance, California, with additional facilities in Texas.
On October 24, Castelion announced it was awarded integration contracts for its Blackbeard weapon system with operational U.S. Army and U.S. Navy platforms. Under these agreements, Castelion will integrate the hypersonic Blackbeard weapon system onto operational platforms and demonstrate its capabilities through live-fire tests.
Hazardous Materials Reported
Phoenix Business Journal reports that according to Arizona State Land Department documents, Castelion confirmed “hazardous materials” would be stored at the proposed facility, including 25,000 pounds of powdered aluminum, 150,000 pounds of ammonium perchlorate, 1,000 pounds of aziridine (HX-752), 1,500 pounds of isophorone diisocyanate, and 200,000 pounds of APCP propellant.
Arizona’s Recruitment Efforts
According to Arizona Luminaria’s May reporting, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly and the Arizona Commerce Authority worked to recruit Castelion to Arizona for a potential site in Pima County near Tucson. Pima County signed a nondisclosure agreement with the company in late 2024.
Site Location and Infrastructure
The property sits south of the Magma Arizona Railroad and Skyline Drive Road, west of Highway 79. The nearest home is over 2.5 miles away, according to information presented at public hearings. The site consists of vacant desert land currently used only for state grazing leases.
County approval allows the project to move forward with plans to extend Skyline Drive east to Highway 79, creating the primary access route for employees and delivery vehicles. Application documents indicate the project expects minimal truck traffic — two to three delivery trucks per week bringing materials to the site, plus trucks for exporting finished products.
The project may reactivate the dormant Magma Arizona Railroad to transport materials. Jordan Rose told the Planning and Zoning Commission the railroad “will be reopened and be utilized not only in this project, but in the project to the north” — referring to Resolution Copper’s planned filter plant northwest of the site.
What’s Next
The property, currently owned by the Arizona State Land Department, will be auctioned. Once sold, the development will proceed under the approved entitlements. The developer will need to obtain site plan approval and various permits before construction can begin.
