Hypersonic   Military Aircraft Procurement   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons  

Navy targets 2028 operational service for lower-cost Blackbeard hypersonic missile

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The U.S. Navy is advancing Blackbeard, a lower-cost, rapidly producible standoff weapon, with the missile recently seen flying on an F/A-18 Super Hornet for the first time. The service aims to field the capability no later than 2028.

Discovered 2026-09-25T13:50:26.638853-07:00 | 2026-09-25T13:50:26.638853-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The Navy’s 2028 target signals an accelerated path from flight testing to operational deployment for a hypersonic standoff weapon.
  • Blackbeard’s emphasis on lower cost and rapid production addresses the industrial-scale requirements of future missile inventories, while its F/A-18 integration indicates a near-term carrier aviation application.

Reported By

The War Zone
Sources Tracked
1
First Seen
2026-09-25T13:50:26.638853-07:00
Latest Update
2026-09-25T13:50:26.638853-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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