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According to the report, the US Army is finally set to operationalize its “Dark Eagle” long-range hypersonic weapon (LRHW) this year, overcoming years of testing failures and delays.
The report stated that a recent US congressional report, confirmed by a defense official to Defense News, revealed that the first unit will receive the ground-based LRHW by the end of fiscal year 2025. However, it remains unclear whether the army will stick to its original plan of fielding it first to the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
The report also stated that Dark Eagle is a cornerstone of the US Army’s efforts to counter China, Russia, and North Korea’s hypersonic advancements. It is believed to have an operational range of 2,700 kilometers (1,677 miles) and speeds surpassing Mach 5.
The report said that it was also designed to evade interception by enemy air defenses by staying at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere until ready to strike. The report also said that the system consists of a ground-launched missile with a hypersonic glide. Originally slated for deployment in 2023, the Dark Eagle faced multiple technical issues that delayed its fielding by nearly two years.
The report added that during its first tests in 2022, the missile encountered pre-flight problems, forcing the army to delay the trials until early 2023. A battery issue was then discovered before the 2023 flight tests, further postponing the operational assessment.
Additionally, with official deployment expected this year, the Dark Eagle is set to give the US a critical edge in high-speed precision strikes, bolstering deterrence against near-peer adversaries.
Source: NextGen Defense
The report stated that a recent US congressional report, confirmed by a defense official to Defense News, revealed that the first unit will receive the ground-based LRHW by the end of fiscal year 2025. However, it remains unclear whether the army will stick to its original plan of fielding it first to the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
The report also stated that Dark Eagle is a cornerstone of the US Army’s efforts to counter China, Russia, and North Korea’s hypersonic advancements. It is believed to have an operational range of 2,700 kilometers (1,677 miles) and speeds surpassing Mach 5.
The report said that it was also designed to evade interception by enemy air defenses by staying at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere until ready to strike. The report also said that the system consists of a ground-launched missile with a hypersonic glide. Originally slated for deployment in 2023, the Dark Eagle faced multiple technical issues that delayed its fielding by nearly two years.
The report added that during its first tests in 2022, the missile encountered pre-flight problems, forcing the army to delay the trials until early 2023. A battery issue was then discovered before the 2023 flight tests, further postponing the operational assessment.
Additionally, with official deployment expected this year, the Dark Eagle is set to give the US a critical edge in high-speed precision strikes, bolstering deterrence against near-peer adversaries.
Source: NextGen Defense
