The Black Arrow is an indicator of the deep trouble that the Pentagon finds itself in today. It may also be a way out.
The United States continues striving for relevancy in an increasingly contested international battlespace. With great-power rivals like China and Russia matching or outpacing U.S. military technology, and with the constant threat of nuclear-armed or nuclear-threshold rogue states like Iran and North Korea, the Americans are having to work twice as hard to just keep pace with these dynamic challenges.
In that evolving landscape of modern warfare, the demand for cost-effective, adaptable, and rapidly deployable munitions has never been greater.
Enter Leidos, the prominent American defense and technology company with their Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile (SCM) that was recently successfully test fired from a United States Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship. Not only would the Black Arrow keep the U.S. military competitive, but, as The War Zone speculated recently, might even keep the AC-130J Spectre Gunship relevant, too.
All About the “Black Arrow” Cruise Missile
Leidos’ SCM earned its nickname, the “Black Arrow,” for its range and lethality. The defense firm initiated the Black Arrow project in 2021 along with the Pentagon to meet the Department of Defense’s urgent need for affordable stand-off strike solutions.
Building on its prior experience with the GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, and the DARPA X-61 Gremlins program, Leidos aimed to create a missile that could serve multiple branches of the military while remaining cost-efficient and adaptable.
In 2022, the company entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), formalizing a partnership to refine and test the SCM.
The Black Arrow is designed as a “service-common” platform, meaning it can be utilized by different military branches, from the Air Force to the Navy, with minimal modifications. Armed with a 200-pound bomb, this lightweight weapon is potent and capable of supporting both kinetic and non-kinetic mission sets. This modularity is, as with many U.S. weapons, a cornerstone of its design, allowing for future upgrades and adaptations as battlefield requirements evolve.
Leidos Successfully Uses Distributed Manufacturing for the Black Arrow
The Black Arrow’s modularity has a second key advantage: it ensures that individual components can be manufactured separately, tested independently, and then assembled quickly, streamlining production and enabling rapid scalability.
This distributed manufacturing model draws from Leidos’ success with the GBU-69 program, which has delivered over 4,000 units to date, proving the efficacy of this approach in delivering affordable mass.
Leidos put the Black Arrow through rigorous testing to validate its capabilities. In December 2023, Leidos conducted successful captive-carry and store-safe separation tests from an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship, confirming the missile’s ability to detach safely and follow a predictable trajectory.
These tests also validated digital twin predictions—virtual models that simulate real-world performance—demonstrating the reliability of Leidos’ engineering process.
Black Arrow leverages cutting-edge engineering practices, including model-based systems engineering, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) optimization in its design. These techniques have allowed for Leidos to accelerate the design and testing phases of this weapon while keeping costs down.
The Black Arrow Could Give New Life to the C-130 Platform
By November 2024, the Black Arrow achieved a major milestone with a guided flight test from the same AC-130J platform. That test showcased the missile’s aircraft compatibility, guidance accuracy, and integration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Battle Management System (BMS).
Real-time waypoint uplinks and operational flight software performed flawlessly, underscoring the missile’s readiness for combat scenarios. Video footage of the launch, released in early 2025, depicted the missile being deployed from a pair of Ramp Launch Tubes (RLT) mounted on the AC-130J’s rear ramp, highlighting its unique launch versatility.
The Black Arrow’s design allows it to deploy in multiple ways: via ramp launch from cargo aircraft like the C-130, a palletized launch, or even a conventional release from fixed-wing warplanes. This flexibility expands the Black Arrow’s operational reach, enabling platforms like the AC-130J—traditionally used for Close-Air Support, or CAS—to take on long-range precision strike roles.
Some Downsides to the Black Arrow
Despite the promise of this missile, critics argue that in a modern major conflict, cargo aircraft like the C-130 may be prioritized for logistics over strike missions, limiting the missile’s operational utility. Additionally, competition from companies like Anduril Industries, which is also developing low-cost cruise missiles, could pressure Leidos to continually innovate and reduce costs—and potentially reliability as a result.
Another issue is whether or not the U.S. defense industrial base can even support this project. Currently, the cupboards are increasingly bare inside America’s arsenals. Indeed, as the Ukraine War drags on and the crisis in the Middle East with Iran reaches a critical nadir, Washington is finding it difficult to replace the weapons that have been depleted—let alone invest in new ones like the Black Arrow.
Even if the missile performs as it is expected, and if it can be mass produced on a reliable timeline, there is also the matter of cost overruns. There is not a single U.S. defense system today that has not been subject to high costs, due to the budget being blown through for a variety of reasons—ranging from a lack of capacity in the defense industrial base to poor management to outright price gouging by unscrupulous contractors.
Finally, there is the added complication as to whether these systems will be effective because of the way that American rivals have developed their comprehensive air defenses. Long-range, standoff-type weapons and unmanned systems are increasingly the way forward to penetrate the air defense bubbles American foes have inflated around themselves.
The Black Arrow is Still a Cool Weapon System
Nevertheless, as it relates to this specific Small Cruise Missile project, Leidos is well-positioned for success. Under contract with SOCOM, the company will continue to test and evaluate activities throughout 2024, refining Black Arrow’s capabilities.
If the processes of streamlining the development of this missile can be applied to all future weapons systems designed for the United States Armed Forces—and if they can be successfully applied to the actual mass production of future weapon systems—then this program will have proven itself. The Black Arrow is an indicator of the deep trouble that the Pentagon finds itself in today. It may also be a way out.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
