Moog missile CAS demonstrated in test of Leidos Black Arrow SCM for USSOCOM
NewsMay 07, 2025
SOF WEEK 2025 – Tampa, Florida. Moog Inc. engineers developed and delivered custom fin Control Actuation System (CAS) shipsets to Leidos in support of the Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile (SCM) for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Leidos designers integrated Moog CAS shipsets into Black Arrow, an affordable mission adaptable delivery platform in the 200-pound class which is designed to support both kinetic and non-kinetic missions. Toward the end of 2024 Leidos conducted a guided end-to-end flight test of Black Arrow from an AC-130J aircraft with Moog hardware accurately steering the missile throughout the test.
During the extended flight, Black Arrow achieved all test objectives, including meeting the desired standoff range, duration, and terminal accuracy. The SCM is designed to meet the demand for a low-cost yet effective solution.
“In collaboration with Leidos, Moog is committed to producing additional CAS shipsets for continued testing,” says Mike Gruver, Moog Group Senior Vice President. Moog CAS shipsets for Black Arrow are each comprised of four electromechanical actuators and one control electronics card.
“Dynetics has engaged in extensive cooperation with Moog for over a decade on a number of successful programs including the GBU-69 Small Glide Munition and the X-61 Gremlins,” says Mark Miller, Leidos, Dynetics Group, Senior Vice President, Missile and Aviation Systems Division. “The Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile is a natural progression of our relationship merging our strike and unmanned aerial vehicle expertise into a new capability that will help fulfill the nation’s need for affordable standoff strike systems.”
The Black Arrow SCM test took place within the framework of a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) involving Leidos, USSOCOM, and the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Since the initiation of the SCM CRADA in 2022, the strike weapons community has widely acknowledged the advantages of affordable mass.
