Arthur McMiler
Guided flight demonstrations are scheduled this fall for Leidos’ small cruise missile, dubbed “Black Arrow”, after the completion of its carry and store separation testing in an AC-130J aircraft. The forthcoming demos will be conducted from a U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command warplane, Leidos said Thursday.
The company started working on the SCM’s design in 2021, and in 2022, it signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Special Operations Command Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing and AFSOC for the Black Arrow project. The agreement’s goal is to develop a low-cost, service-common and mission-adaptable SCM for kinetic and non-kinetic missions.
Leidos is pursuing the SCM’s development through model-based systems engineering, additive manufacturing and optimized artificial intelligence practices.
In addition, the company is utilizing in Black Arrow its experience in the development of the GBU-69 small glide munition and the DARPA X-61 Gremlins, said Mark Miller, Leidos’ senior vice president for missile and aviation solutions. “We have navigated hurdles and made significant investments to integrate on, and test off, the AC-130J, preparing us to proceed with further activities once the CRADA is complete,” he added.
