US Navy to add 4,500 hypersonic missiles under MACE program by 2031 fleetwide push

The U.S. Navy plans to procure about 4,500 low-cost air-launched hypersonic missiles under the MACE program by 2031.

Budget documents show $1.6 billion earmarked for 4,157 missiles from fiscal 2028 to 2031, plus funding for 353 more in fiscal 2027.

The weapons are expected to arm F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning II carrier aircraft.

Industry reporting ties the effort to Castelion’s Blackbeard design, suggesting an affordable path to expand U.S. strike capacity.