The U.S. Navy has released new video footage showing the Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile mounted under the wing of an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet during flight testing, offering the clearest look yet at the weapon the service aims to field by 2028. The footage, released by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), shows two Blackbeard missiles installed under the fighter’s wing, according to The War Zone and The Aviationist.
Blackbeard is being developed by California-based defense start-up Castelion under the Navy’s Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector (MACE) program, which seeks a relatively low-cost, long-range strike weapon that can be produced in large numbers. The Navy describes Blackbeard as a “responsive, long-range, high-speed strike option” for carrier-based aircraft, according to The Aviationist.
The new imagery comes after the Navy confirmed in August 2026 that it had begun test-loading the missiles onto Super Hornets, as shown in a presentation at the Tailhook Association’s annual convention. The new footage shows the program has advanced to actual flight testing, The War Zone reported.
Blackbeard has moved rapidly through acquisition. Key contract awards include:
- February 2026: $49.9 million to advance the missile from prototype toward Early Operational Capability, with work scheduled through November 2027.
- April 2026: $105 million for F/A-18 integration, including hardware and software integration, flight testing, system-safety work, and airworthiness certification for carrier operations.
- June 2026: $23.4 million firm-fixed-price order for 50 Early Operational Capability pre-production prototypes and 50 shipping and storage containers.
- Aug. 25, 2026: $89.997 million award to support the 50 EOC weapons and transition toward a formal Program of Record, including Defense Exportability Features.
- Sept. 14, 2026: A production delivery order worth up to $200 million, with an initial $43.65 million order covering 444 All-Up Rounds—fully functional tactical missiles in shipping containers.
Work under the September award will be performed at Castelion’s 1,000-acre manufacturing campus in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and at its facility in Torrance, California, The Aviationist reported.
Detailed performance figures for Blackbeard remain classified, but the weapon is described as hypersonic, meaning it is designed to exceed Mach 5. Castelion has previously hinted it could hit targets out to just under 500 miles, The War Zone reported. The missile’s design includes a booster stage with a possible unpowered hypersonic glide vehicle on top, though the second stage may have its own motor.
The Navy is pursuing Blackbeard as a relatively cheap, rapidly producible standoff weapon, with the goal of reaching at least limited service no later than 2028. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is set to be the first operational launch platform, and the U.S. Army is pursuing a ground-launched version of the missile, The War Zone reported.
Sources: DVIDS News · Breaking Defense