U.S. Army's Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapon System to Become Operational by FY2025

The U.S. Army's Dark Eagle, or Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), is a trailer-launched hypersonic boost-glide vehicle with a range of 3,500 kilometers. During a recent tour of Redstone Arsenal, Secretary Hegseth highlighted the system's potential to strike high-priority targets globally, including mainland China from Guam and Moscow from London.

The weapon's warhead weighs under 30 pounds and can cover its range in less than 20 minutes. Despite previous claims of a 2,775-kilometer range, Lt. Gen.

Francisco Lozano confirmed the updated range of at least 3,500 kilometers. The Army aims for Dark Eagle to become operational by the end of Fiscal Year 2025, with current production at one unit per month, targeting an increase to 24 units per year. Development delays have raised concerns regarding the weapon's effectiveness and production capacity compared to hypersonic advancements by China.