Blackbeard Low-Cost Hypersonic Missile Testing On The F/A-18 Super Hornet Has Begun

Summary

Castelion's Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile, developed under the U.S. Navy's Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE) program, has reached a significant milestone with test articles being loaded onto an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as confirmed by images shown at the Tailhook Association's annual convention. The Navy and Castelion are working toward an early operational capability (EOC) target of 2027-2028, with the goal of delivering at least 50 missiles, supported by a recently awarded $105 million contract and a subsequent nearly $90 million contract to accelerate development. The missile appears to feature a ballistic missile-like booster paired with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), with an estimated range of just under 500 miles, and is primarily intended to target enemy ships. Newly revealed imagery suggests the missile may incorporate an imaging infrared seeker system, identifiable by apertures on the wedge-shaped nose, which would provide passive, jam-resistant guidance capabilities particularly valuable for anti-ship missions. The program is closely linked to "Project Alpha," which has set a goal of achieving a hypersonic missile test shot in 2026, though it remains unclear whether this milestone has already been accomplished.