It was announced by the U.S. Navy early in 1958  that Temco had complete responsibility for an air-to-surface weapon system known as the Corvus, including any necessary modifications to aircraft carrying the missile, and development of ground handling, test and checkout equipment and packaging.

Corvus was a supersonic air-to-surface missile designed to be launched from carrier-based aircraft against heavily defended targets, including surface ships and radar installations.  It consisted of a streamlined body, carrying mid-set delta wings and cruciform tail surfaces, indexed at 45° to the wings.  The powerplant was a Reaction Motors pre-packaged liquid-propellant rocket engine.  Guidance was by W.L. Maxson Corporation of New York and Texas Instruments of Dallas.  A sensor in its radome homed in on radar signals and guided the missile to a direct hit, and ignited its warhead.  The missile was powered by a liquid propellant rocket engine.  Twenty missiles were built and successfully tested; however, in 1959 the Navy decided not to fund production of the Corvus missile.

After extensive ground tests at Temco’s works, and at the Pacific Missile Range Test Center, Point Mugu, California, a test version of Corvus was successfully launched for the first time from a Douglas A-4D Skyhawk aircraft at Point Mugu July 18, 1959.