Mentioned:CastelionU.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy successfully completed a developmental flight test of the Castelion Blackbeard air-launched hypersonic missile on an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet on September 18. The test mounted 2 missiles on the aircraft in a non-live-fire evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
What's happening
- The Navy mounted 2 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles on a single Super Hornet during the September 18 developmental test.
- No weapons were released or live-fired during the flight test, which focused on integration and handling evaluation.
- The test advances Blackbeard toward Early Operational Capability, a formal Navy acquisition milestone.
Why it matters
- Successful air-launch integration of hypersonic missiles expands the Navy's strike options beyond ship-based and ground-based platforms.
- Mounting 2 missiles demonstrates the Super Hornet's multi-missile loadout capacity for operational employment.
- Progression toward EOC signals the Navy intends to transition Blackbeard from development into fleet service within the next acquisition phase.
Going deeper
- Castelion is the prime contractor and developer of the Blackbeard missile system.
- The test occurred at NAS Patuxent River, the Navy's primary aircraft test range, indicating a mature development posture.
Source: Defense Daily · Oct 1, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.