The United States is preparing to deploy its first battery of the Dark Eagle long-range hypersonic weapon system in 2025, according to reports from Defense News. This powerful missile system, designed for rapid and highly manoeuvrable strikes, will be stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, forming part of the US Army’s hypersonic strategy.
The 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, has been training extensively with the Dark Eagle system, which was initially scheduled for deployment in 2023. However, technical issues with the missile launch system caused delays. The system successfully underwent its first live-fire test in December 2024, during which a missile was launched from a trailer-mounted platform using a transport-launch container.
The Dark Eagle missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, can travel up to 3,000 kilometres at speeds of Mach 4.9, making it an integral part of the United States’ evolving military capabilities. The development of this hypersonic platform gained momentum following the United States’ withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2020, which had previously restricted the deployment of such weapons.
The US military’s hypersonic strategy also includes the Glide Phase Interceptor and the Conventional Prompt Strike system. The Dark Eagle uses a boost-glide system, a technology that allows the missile to manoeuvre unpredictably at hypersonic speeds, making it extremely difficult to intercept.
Lockheed Martin has also been working on the Mako hypersonic missile, a separate project aimed at integrating hypersonic strike capabilities with most US fighter jets, including the F-22 and F-35. The Mako missile measures 3.6 metres in length, has a diameter of 33 centimetres, and weighs approximately 590 kilograms. The F-35 can carry up to six of these missiles using both internal and external hardpoints.
The US Army plans to procure a total of 300 Dark Eagle missiles, with Congress expected to receive detailed procurement plans soon. The cost of the new hypersonic platform is estimated at 41 million dollars per unit, reflecting the high cost and advanced technology involved in the production of these cutting-edge weapons.
This deployment signals a major shift in military power, as the United States moves to counter the growing hypersonic capabilities of rivals such as Russia and China. While Moscow has boasted of its Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Ukraine’s air defences have already proven capable of intercepting them, exposing the Kremlin’s exaggerated claims about its own technology. The arrival of Dark Eagle further widens the gap between the United States and Russia, leaving the the Kremlin with little more than outdated Soviet-style intimidation tactics.
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