The US Navy has released its first official footage of Blackbeard hypersonic strike missiles being carried by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets during flight-testing activity, FlightGlobal reported.

The imagery, released by Naval Air Systems Command, shows two Blackbeard rounds mounted beneath the wing of an F/A-18F Super Hornet. It confirms that the air-launched weapon has progressed into aircraft integration and captive-carry flight trials.

The footage does not confirm a powered launch from the fighter. However, it provides the clearest public indication so far that Blackbeard is moving through the flight-test and airworthiness process required for carrier operations.

Blackbeard is being developed by California-based Castelion as a long-range, air-launched hypersonic strike weapon for US Navy carrier air wings.

The missile is intended to give F/A-18E/F crews a fast, survivable standoff attack option, particularly against hostile warships protected by layered air-defence networks.

Its high-speed profile is expected to complicate an adversary’s detection, tracking and interception efforts, while allowing carrier-based fighters to launch attacks from beyond the reach of many enemy air-defence systems.

The US Navy aims to field Blackbeard in at least limited operational service by August 2028, although Castelion has previously indicated that an earlier initial operational capability could be possible.

The weapon is being developed under the Navy’s Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector program, which seeks to procure long-range precision weapons in substantially larger numbers than traditional high-cost hypersonic systems.

The emphasis on affordability is central to Blackbeard’s concept. Castelion has said it is targeting a per-missile cost of about ₹4.79 crore, far below the cost commonly associated with advanced hypersonic weapons.

The Pentagon has already awarded Castelion a production delivery order with a potential value of up to ₹1,917 crore for Blackbeard production.

An initial ₹418 crore order covers the manufacture, assembly, testing and delivery of 444 fully functional All-Up Rounds, including their specialised transport and storage containers.

In April, the Navy also awarded Castelion a contract worth about ₹1,006 crore to complete F/A-18 hardware and software integration, flight testing, system-safety work and airworthiness certification for carrier use.

Castelion is building production capacity at its Project Ranger manufacturing campus in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and at its Torrance, California, facility.

The company says the manufacturing approach combines vertically integrated propulsion and guidance work with commercial production practices, allowing missiles to be built faster and in far greater numbers.

If the program meets its timeline, Blackbeard could become a significant new anti-ship and land-attack weapon for US carrier strike groups, adding a lower-cost hypersonic option to the Super Hornet’s existing strike arsenal.

Agencies