US Navy Tests 3,800-Mph Hypersonic Missile Design Aboard Fighter Jet
NAVAIR says the low-cost hypersonic weapon is moving toward early operational capability after 444 production rounds were ordered.
- On September 25, 2026, the Naval Air Systems Command released footage showing Blackbeard hypersonic missiles mounted under the wings of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets during flight testing.
- The Navy is procuring Blackbeard through the Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector program to field a low-cost, mass-producible hypersonic weapon reflecting the service's push toward affordable mass.
- California-Based Castelion recently received a production delivery order worth up to 200 million USD to manufacture Blackbeard weapons; an earlier contract covers 444 All-Up Rounds, demonstrating industrial scalability.
- Addressing U.S. munitions stockpile concerns, the Navy describes Blackbeard as a "responsive, long-range, high-speed strike option" for carrier-based aircraft to replenish supplies quickly after sustained operations.
- Naval officials aim to achieve early operational capability for Blackbeard by 2028, with NAVAIR noting the weapon is "Coming soon to a theater near you" for maritime and land targets.
21 Articles
21 Articles
The US Navy released the first flight test footage of the Blackbeard hypersonic missile. It was shown mounted on an F/A-18E/F. The missile has a top speed of 6174 km/hr. The cost is approximately ₹28.8 million per missile. Deployment is targeted for 2028.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) The U.S. Navy has released the first video showing the test flight of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet equipped with Blackbeard hypersonic attack missiles...
The new weapon is designed to attack both ground and sea targets.
The United States has begun testing a new hypersonic missile for carrier-based aircraft
The United States has begun testing a new hypersonic missile for carrier-based aircraft.The US Navy has released a video showing two missiles suspended from an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jet. The tests are conducted by the Aviation Procurement...
The U.S. Navy has begun testing a new compact Blackbeard hypersonic missile, which is planned to equip deck fighter aircraft to attack air and submarine targets, based on data from the United States fleet.
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