The hypersonic Dark Eagle can hit Moscow from London and Tehran from Qatar.
Pete Hedseth at Redstone Arsenal, December 12, 2025.
In the recent past for missile The US Army has developed a new hypersonic missile system, the LRHW or Dark Eagle. It is currently undergoing final testing, and preparations are underway for full-scale serial production and mass deployment. Against this backdrop, officials are disclosing the key performance characteristics of the system and its missile. They are also providing examples of hypothetical uses for these capabilities.
Range issue
On December 12, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. There, he learned about the latest developments and oversaw the implementation of current activities and future programs. He also heard a number of important reports.
During the visit, the minister was briefed on progress on the advanced hypersonic missile system, Dark Eagle. Lieutenant General Francisco Lozano, Director of the Army's Hypersonic, Directed Energy, Space, and Accelerated Acquisition Directorate, briefed P. Hegseth on the latest developments and revealed some interesting new information.
General Lozano stated that the Dark Eagle missile's range would reach 3500 km. He also cited examples that illustrate the potential of such a munition. He stated that a hypersonic missile launched from Guam could hit a target in mainland China. Similarly, a launch against Moscow from the London area or an attack on Tehran from Qatar are also possible.
The first test launch of the Dark Eagle missile, December 12, 2024.
The general also discussed the Dark Eagle system's combat payload. It turned out that the missile carries a warhead weighing less than 30 pounds (13,6 kg). Such a payload would have limited power on its own. However, it would be supplemented by the kinetic energy of the hypersonic warhead.
The US Army has disclosed its production rates and plans for the first time. The Secretary of Defense was informed that the military-industrial complex currently assembles just one Dark Eagle missile per month. Production rates will soon double. However, for obvious reasons, the Army did not specify the military's needs or the timeframe for their closure.
A visit by the Minister of Defense to a ground forces facility is generally a routine event. However, this time, information of particular interest was revealed, allowing for certain conclusions.
Known characteristics
It should be recalled that the Dark Eagle hypersonic system was developed from 2017-18. Initially, it was designated Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon or LRHW. weapon long-range"). Moreover, the new project was based on the work of a number of previous programs that had been implemented by the time of its launch.
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors subsequently developed the system and all its components. Testing of various systems and components began at the end of the last decade. Finally, in December 2024, the system, in its standard configuration, conducted its first full-scale launch of a rocket.
Transfer of training TPKs to a combat unit, September 2021.
As development and testing continued, the project's client and contractor periodically disclosed various information. In particular, the approximate appearance of the future system was revealed quite some time ago. Furthermore, its approximate performance characteristics have also become known.
From the very beginning, the Pentagon stated that the goal of the LRHW project was to create a hypersonic missile system. This indicated the possible speed characteristics of the prospective missile or its payload. To meet the definition of a hypersonic weapon, such systems must reach speeds of at least Mach 5.
Subsequent public publications and statements cited similar or even higher speed figures. Specifically, mention was made of the ability to accelerate the warhead to 10-12 Mach.
In May 2021, a Pentagon spokesman revealed another important specification: the LRHW missile's launch range. At the time, it was reported to be 1725 miles (2775 km). This placed the prospective system in the category of medium-range systems capable of solving operational and strategic missions.
Now, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Defense has revealed that the Dark Eagle boasts even higher performance. The stated range has increased from 2775 to 3500 km. How exactly this increase in this key parameter was achieved remains unknown. Perhaps the LRHW project had the potential and technical capabilities to achieve such performance from the outset.
A Dark Eagle launcher on a transporter
It has been previously reported that the new type of missile will feature two stages with solid-fuel motors, which will be responsible for acceleration and trajectory entry. The third stage will be a hypersonic glide vehicle. Detailed information about this vehicle has not yet been officially released.
Available data suggests that the LRHW's warhead must have a special shape to enable high-speed gliding flight. Using an automatic control system, it will be able to maneuver and home in on a specific target.
The combat capabilities of such a device had not previously been specified, although there were opportunities to evaluate them. Now it has become known that the unit will be equipped with a warhead. Its type and purpose are unknown, but its mass has now been revealed. Apparently, this is a high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The Pentagon has previously repeatedly expressed its reluctance to equip hypersonic weapons with special warheads.
The overall composition of the Dark Eagle system and its operational capabilities are already known. The system's battery includes a command post, launchers mounted on semi-trailers, and a suite of support equipment. The missiles are delivered in sealed rectangular transport and launch containers.
Using tractors and truck chassis, the Dark Eagle system will be able to quickly reach a designated position. Preparation for launch at the target location should take a limited time, after which launch is possible. Each battery is expected to have at least three to four launchers with a total of six to eight missiles.
The combat performance of the Dark Eagle system in graphic form
Combat potential
The LRHW, or Dark Eagle, project has now completed all stages of development and testing. Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors have begun assembling the new hypersonic missiles, as well as other components of the missile system. These components are now being delivered to active duty units of the ground forces at a slow pace.
Over the next few years, the Pentagon plans to develop a fairly large fleet of new missile systems for the Army. Batteries and divisions/battalions with this equipment will be deployed around the world. There have been reports of plans to deploy them in Europe, the Middle East, and at bases in the Asia-Pacific region.
The US Army plans to use Dark Eagle systems to "control" large areas, focusing primarily on the territories of hostile states. These weapons will primarily be deployed against Russia, China, and Iran. Given the planned deployment locations, it can be expected that potential adversaries will be threatened from two directions simultaneously, if possible.
The Pentagon and the White House expect hypersonic missile systems to provide the military with fundamentally new combat capabilities. They will also become a new tool for strategic deterrence, likely without the use of nuclear weapons.
The first results of this kind are expected to be achieved in the coming years. Construction of the entire required fleet of missile systems and their deployment at the selected bases should be completed no later than the beginning of the next decade. Whether all these plans will be fulfilled and the desired military-political capabilities achieved remains to be seen. However, the progress achieved allows the Ministry of Defense to make optimistic forecasts.
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