12.13.24
The Pentagon's newest missile has drawn comparisons with Russia's recently deployed Oreshnik, the two emerging as key contenders in the hypersonic arms race and fueling debates over their capabilities and strategic impact. The United States completed a test launch of its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the Department of Defense confirmed on Thursday. "This test marks an important milestone in the development of one of our most advanced weapons systems," Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said following the end-to-end flight test, which came after years of delays and setbacks. Dubbed the Dark Eagle, Del Toro said that integrating the new weapon into the U.S. arsenal will help "ensure we remain the world's preeminent fighting force." Dark Eagle is an intermediate-range medium-range missile system being developed for use by the U.S. Army. Land-based and truck-launched, the "transformational" hypersonic weapon will "deliver unmatched capability to meet joint warfighting needs," said Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe Jr., director of the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs.
The missile component of the Dark Eagle has reportedly been developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report on the weapon. While the Defense Department said the latest test will inform when the Dark Eagle can enter service, it is unclear when this may be. In 2021, officials said they were "very, very confident" the weapon could be fielded by 2023, though no date for its deployment has yet been announced. The Dark Eagle can travel "well over 3,800 miles per hour," the U.S. Army said, as cited in a recent Congressional Research Service report. "They can reach the top of the Earth's atmosphere and remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike, and by then it's too late to react." The Dark Eagle also boasts a range of 1,725 miles, compared to the Oreshnik's reported 3,418-mile range. However, one Russian military expert was quoted by the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestiya as saying that the Oreshnik's actual range likely fell between 1,550 and 3,100 miles. It is unclear whether the Dark Eagle is nuclear-capable like its Russian counterpart. The U.S. Defense Department, meanwhile, said that its hypersonic system's "combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and altitude" make it a near-impossible target to shoot down, enabling "highly survivable and rapid defeat of time-critical and heavily-defended targets."
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