American defense firm Leidos recently announced the successful completion of a guided flight test of its Small Cruise Missile (SCM), known as Black Arrow, from a U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship in November 2024.
Black Arrow is a 200-pound class cruise missile designed to carry different types of payloads. It can be used for both kinetic strikes and electronic warfare missions. The missile has a modular design, meaning its parts, such as guidance systems or payloads, can be swapped depending on the mission.
In the video released by Leidos, the Black Arrow is launched from Ramp Launch Tubes (RLT) at the rear of the aircraft. The missile rolls off tail-first, its wing and tail fins deploy, and its engine ignites. The missile then flies toward its target area.
The video does not show the impact, but Leidos said the test validated the “aircraft compatibility, system performance, waypoint uplinks, guidance accuracy as well as integration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Battle Management System (BMS).”
Leidos started the Black Arrow SCM in 2021 to give the U.S. military a low-cost, flexible weapon for modern conflict. It builds on earlier work, including the GBU-69 glide bomb and DARPA’s X-61 Gremlins drone program.
The recent flight follows earlier tests in late 2023, when the missile went through safe separation and captive-carry trials. All tests were done using an AC-130J.
Leidos said it is now under contract for more testing in 2025. These next tests will evaluate sensors, guidance systems, and how the missile performs when receiving updates during flight.
