The U.S. Navy tested Castelion's Blackbeard hypersonic missile aboard an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jet. A photo of the missile mounted under the jet's wing was shown at the Tailhook Association conference, where the new AIM-424 LRAAM air-to-air missile, with a reported range of 460 km, was also unveiled for the first time.
According to The War Zone, it remains unknown under what conditions the photo of the Blackbeard missile on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jet was taken, and whether actual flight tests were conducted remains a mystery.
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Plans to integrate this missile into a U.S. Navy fighter jet were announced in March of 2026. The Navy has ambitious plans for the Blackbeard missile, as it has already scheduled phased funding for a total of 3,510 missiles through 2027, with delivery to be completed by 2031.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy and the manufacturer are currently working to bring this missile into service no later than August 2028.
In addition to the air-launched variant, Castelion is also developing a ground-launched version of the Blackbeard hypersonic missile. The missile went from an "on-paper" concept to actual testing in less than 18 months—a notably short development timeline for a company founded only in 2022.
In May, the company was also awarded a contract to supply 1,000 low-cost Blackbeard hypersonic missiles for use with HIMARS, while the U.S. announced plans to acquire as many as 12,000 of these missiles over five years.
Castelion released the first photo of a full-scale Blackbeard missile just a week ago. The company plans to complete the missile's design in 2027, suggesting that the version shown may not be final.
Earlier Defense Express reported that following a series of failures, the ARRW hypersonic missile—crucial for countering russia and China—had made its first appearance on a B-1B Lancer.
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