Super Hornets Sortie with Blackbeard Missiles in Latest Test

The U.S. Navy’s first carrier aviation-based hypersonic missile is one step closer to achieving early operational capability following a recent flight test. An F/A-18E/F Super Hornet took off with a pair of the Castelion-made Mach 5+ missiles from Naval Air Station Patuxent, Maryland, the Navy announced Sept. 30. The test, which took place on Sept. 18, was meant to validate the missile’s capability to be carried aboard the fighter. Blackbeard, also known as the Multi-mission Affordable Capacity Effector, was procured by the sea service to rapidly integrate an extended-range hypersonic strike capability on its fighters. The acquisition comes amid the