The long-range hypersonic weapon of the US Army (LRHW) is close to its first operational deployment, which is a major step forward in filling the hypersonic capabilities gap it has with Russia and China. This system is expected to surface-to-surface boost and glide missilesalso known as Dark Eagleenter service in the coming weeksas reported by Bloomberg citing Lt. Gen. Frank Lozanothe US Army’s top official for missile programs. This will turn Dark Eagle into America’s first deployed hypersonic weapons system.
He 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment of the US Army, part of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), an Indo-Pacific-oriented I Corps unit, will be the first to receive an LRHW batteryalthough it is likely that it only has an initial and not complete operational capacity. This is because, for the system to reach maturity, still needs to resolve technical challenges around thermal shielding, stability and maneuverability in flight, communications and terminal guidance.
This is Dark Eagle
The configuration of each LRHW battery consists of four transporter-erector launchers (TEL) trailer-based M870A4 modified, each equipped with two ready-to-fire missiles (giving a total of eight missiles per battery), a Battery Operations Center (BOC) for command and control, and a BOC support vehicle.
Each missile uses a rocket booster two stages that drives the glider vehicle C-HGB (Common Hypersonic Glide Body), with an estimated average speed of Mach 10 (about 12,000 km/h) along about 3,000 km of reach, before separate and maneuver through the atmosphere toward its target following a low trajectoryas explained in a report by the United States Congressional Budget Office. The Army, officially, has always spoken of speeds greater than Mach 5 (6,100 km/h), without further specifying. And although the Pentagon had on several occasions estimated its range at around 2,775 km, Lozano already said last December that Dark Eagle finally has a range of 3,500 km.
The missile measures around 9.1 meters long and has 0.9 meters in diameter, with an estimated weight of just over 7 tonsalthough it is not an official figure. The C-HGB hypersonic glider at the front employs a conventional, non-nuclear, kinetic energy warhead.
It is intended for attack high value targets that require an immediate response and are protected by anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) capabilities, intended to hinder the entry and maneuver of enemy forces, or by advanced integrated air and anti-missile defense systems. The system’s strategy for defeating A2/AD environments is based on a combination of speed, maneuverability and a low altitude flight profile.
An expensive development, with multiple delays and that still needs to be further evaluated
The program has accumulated more than 12 billion dollars in financing since 2018. The deployment comes after multiple delays caused by technical setbacks during testing, including failed launches and canceled tests. Successful full tests in June and December 2024 demonstrated full system integration, with flight distances exceeding 3,200 km. However, The full operational evaluation is expected to extend until 2027 as sufficient performance information has not yet been gathered..
Production remains limited by the complexity of manufacturing. It is estimated that the current production rate is around one missile a monthwith the aim of raising it to two monthly. It is estimated that each missile costs around 41 million dollars and that initial acquisition costs will be higher due to low production volumes, Army Recognition reports.
The Army plans extend deployment to multiple MDTFsespecially in contested environments like the Indo-Pacific. The system is also part of a broader joint effort with the U.S. Navy under the program Conventional Prompt Strikewhich will display a variant on naval platforms using a glider body and shared propulsion architecture.