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Key Points: The Dark Eagle, the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon developed by Lockheed Martin, is advancing with a $756 million contract to enhance its capabilities.

-With a range of 1,725 miles and speeds exceeding 3,800 mph, the mobile ground-launched missile promises high maneuverability and precision, targeting key facilities in adversarial regions like China and North Korea.

-However, testing and operational challenges remain, alongside high costs estimated at $41 million per missile.

-If perfected, the Dark Eagle could play a crucial role in U.S. and allied defense strategies, particularly in East Asia.

Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapons Program Is Leaping Ahead

Just when you think the U.S. military is falling behind China and Russia in hypersonic missile development, the Army strikes back. 

The branch features the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile officially known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. This heavy-duty and ultra-fast striker is being developed by Lockheed Martin, and the Army agreed to a $756 million contract earlier this year to improve the weapon even more.

According to the mammoth defense contractor, the contract will “deliver battery equipment, systems and software engineering support, and logistics solutions” to the Army for improving the Dark Eagle.

Dark Eagle: What Makes This Thing Awesome?

The Dark Eagle is swift and maneuverable in flight. It is deployed with a mobile ground-launcher. 

The Army delivered the first Dark Eagle battery to the Army in 2021. This contract will improve launch capability and testing performance. 

The Dark Eagle has a range of 1,725 miles with a speed of 3,800 miles per hour. The hypersonic missile will spring up high into the earth’s atmosphere to avoid enemy interception efforts and then streak down to paydirt with that fearsome speed and maneuverability.

Hypersonic Missile Sample Image VIA DARPA.

One Answer to China’s Ballistic Missile Program

A great thing about the Dark Eagle is that it could be deployed in countries in East Asia and challenge the dominance of China in the region. The hypersonic missile would be great for Taiwan as the Taiwanese military prepares for what could become an amphibious attack against the island nation. 

The Dark Eagle could strike ballistic missile sites on the Mainland and engage radar and command and control facilities to keep the Chinese guessing when it comes to controlling their own weapons systems. The Dark Eagle would also be famous in South Korea and Japan for offensive or defensive purposes.

It Needs More Tests and Evaluations Along with Research and Development

The Army has been testing the Dark Eagle since 2021 and has collected important flight data at high altitudes and extreme heat. Some tests have been inconclusive or cancelled so the Dark Eagle is only partially combat ready. The Army needs to test it under full “operational conditions.” However, the hypersonic missile has much potential. 

The Dark Eagle has its work cut out for it. China has the lead in ballistic missiles that could attack Taiwan. There are more Chinese missiles than Taiwan and the United States could engage. Even if the U.S. Navy deployed ships in the Taiwan Strait with the highly effective Aegis Combat System, some Chinese missiles are bound to get through the screen, even with Dark Eagle batteries stationed on Taiwan.

Will Congress Continue to Invest in Dark Eagle?

Congressional members must consider this as they seek to fund Dark Eagle. The latest contract is a step in the right direction, but it will take more research and development dollars to complete the testing for the hypersonic system.

It Could Be Cost Prohibitive

The other issue is cost; the Dark Eagle could run around $41 million per missile. 

The war in Ukraine has shown that missile exchanges are high-volume and expensive. There is a chance that if the Dark Eagle deployed to Taiwan or another ally like South Korea, it would run out of projectiles in a shooting war.

 That’s why it will be necessary for it to test successfully and make every launch hit its target. 

Overall, the Dark Eagle is exciting. It gives the Army more punch and will allow allies in East Asia someday the benefit of a hypersonic missile that could defend against China if it were allowed by the State Department to be sold to Taiwan. A more likely deployment would be to South Korea, giving the Army and Republic of Korea troops more options when it comes to engaging the North Koreans. 

Dark Eagle could be used against hardened nuclear weapon infrastructure in the North. When critics say the United States is not advancing its hypersonic missile program, the Department of Defense should point to the Army’s Dark Eagle program. It will remain in the test and evaluation stage for the next few years, but it has a bright future.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.