The U.S. Navy has begun testing Castelion’s Blackbeard hypersonic missile on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, marking a key step toward early operational deployment by August 2028. Images shown at the Tailhook Association’s annual convention revealed a pair of test articles mounted under the aircraft’s wing, though the exact testing location and schedule remain undisclosed.
Blackbeard is part of the Navy’s Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE) program, designed as a lower-cost alternative to traditional hypersonic weapons. The missile features a wedge-shaped nose with apparent apertures, likely for an imaging infrared seeker, which would enable passive targeting immune to electronic warfare. Development is tied to Project Alpha, with a planned early operational capability (EOC) by 2027, though a recent $90 million contract extends work through August 2028.
The Pentagon has outlined plans to acquire 12,000 Blackbeard missiles over three years, including air-launched and surface-launched variants. The Navy sees the weapon as critical for expanding standoff strike range and survivability against time-sensitive targets, especially as carrier air wings face growing anti-access threats.
Castelion and the Navy aim to finalize integration and begin flight tests in 2026, with the first operational air-launched hypersonic missile expected within two years.
