US defence technology firm Leidos is preparing launch tests for a new cruise missile it says will offer an affordable option for long-range strikes.
Notably, the new munition – dubbed Black Arrow – will not be fired from fighter jets or bombers, but rather from the aft ramp of a Lockheed Martin AC-130J turboprop gunship.
Leidos has been developing the Black Arrow since 2021 under a research partnership with the US Air Force (USAF) and Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The company already completed a separation test launch from a USAF AC-130J gunship in December 2023.
More recently, Leidos on 3 October said it had accomplished several key milstones ahead of a full guided flight launch, including captive carry of a Black Arrow protoype aloft and testing safe separation from the aircraft while in flight.
That launch is to take place from an unspecified USAF special operations aircraft in the coming weeks.
Air Force Special Operations Command operates several special-mission aircraft based on Lockheed’s C-130 transport, including the AC-130 gunship and the MC-130J Commando II.
The service has recently been exploring options to expand the capabilities of its mission-specific aircraft, such as by launching palletised munitions from cargo transports and hauling cargo in large bombers. The project was championed by now-retired Air Mobility Command boss General Mike Minihan as a low-cost way to create flexibility without adding more aircraft.
The US defence industry’s latest offering in the low-cost cruise missile space comes as interest in the concept has surged in Washington and globally. Existing munition stocks across the US-aligned world are widely believed to be insufficient to sustain a protracted conflict.
While traditional munitions producers like Raytheon and Lockheed have been expanding assembly capacity for critical weapons such as the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, non-traditional competitors see an opportunity.
Leidos’s entry into the munitions space marks a departure from its historic role suppling components for weapons.
California-based defence start-up Anduril has also moved aggressively to capture market share, with a focus on affordability and high-output production. The company recently debuted its Barracuda family of low-cost cruise missiles, designed to work with traditional fighter aircraft.
In 2023, Anduril also a revealed its prototype for a low-cost UAV interceptor called Roadrunner. Billed as a “reusable missile”, the box-launched turbojet is capable of landing vertically for refuelling and reuse if it does not find a target.
