Exclusive: U.S. Army Dark Eagle Deployment in 2025 Marks U.S. Entry into Hypersonic Arms Race with China and Russia.

The upcoming deployment of the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), officially known as "Dark Eagle," represents a major turning point in the strategic landscape of modern warfare. Scheduled to enter service by the end of fiscal year 2025, the Dark Eagle system marks the United States' formal entry into the hypersonic missile race, a field already dominated by China and Russia. This move carries profound implications not only for the U.S. military’s capabilities but also for global strategic balance and deterrence.
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U.S. soldiers from Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, conduct ground maneuvers, ammunition transfers, and establish firing positions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord using the U.S. Army’s first prototype Long Range Hypersonic Weapon system. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), nicknamed Dark Eagle, is the most advanced hypersonic weapon system developed by the U.S. Army. Designed as a land-based, truck-launched platform, it combines a two-stage solid-fueled booster system with the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), enabling the missile to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and strike targets over 1,725 miles (2,775 km) away. What distinguishes hypersonic glide vehicles like the C-HGB is their ability to maneuver at high speeds during flight, making them exceptionally difficult to detect and intercept by existing air defense systems. This capability offers the U.S. a significant advantage in precision strike scenarios, especially in contested regions such as the Indo-Pacific or Eastern Europe.

The Dark Eagle system is being fielded with the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force of the U.S. Army, a unit tailored for operations across cyber, space, air, land, and sea domains. This strategic deployment aligns with the Pentagon's broader push to modernize its long-range fires capabilities and restore military parity with near-peer adversaries. The Army confirmed that the first full battery of Dark Eagle missiles will be operational in 2025, following the successful completion of an end-to-end flight test in December 2024 at Cape Canaveral. This test demonstrated the system’s technical readiness and cleared the path for field deployment.

On the global stage, the deployment of Dark Eagle is a calculated response to the rapidly growing hypersonic arsenals of China and Russia. Both nations have already fielded operational hypersonic weapons and integrated them into their strategic forces. China’s DF-17 missile system, first unveiled in 2019, features a hypersonic glide vehicle designed to penetrate advanced air defenses and threaten high-value targets such as aircraft carriers. It has a reported range of 1,500–2,000 kilometers and is now an integral part of the PLA (China) Rocket Force. Meanwhile, the PLA Navy has begun fielding the YJ-21, a ship-launched hypersonic anti-ship missile capable of striking at extended ranges.

Russia, similarly, has aggressively pushed forward with its hypersonic development. The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, which can be mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), is capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 20 while performing evasive maneuvers. The Kinzhal, an air-launched ballistic missile, has seen use in real-world combat conditions, showcasing its operational maturity. These systems have significantly altered Russia’s strategic deterrence posture and added complexity to NATO’s defense planning.

By comparison, the United States has taken a more measured and technically cautious approach to hypersonic development. Years of delays and budgetary constraints slowed initial progress. However, with Dark Eagle nearing deployment and additional systems under development by the U.S. Navy and Air Force, the American hypersonic capability is beginning to take shape. Nevertheless, challenges remain. The Pentagon has acknowledged gaps in testing data, particularly concerning the survivability and combat effectiveness of hypersonic systems in real-world scenarios. There are also concerns about launch platform vulnerabilities and integration with joint command-and-control structures.

Despite these hurdles, the strategic significance of Dark Eagle cannot be overstated. Its deployment sends a strong signal to both allies and adversaries: the United States is now a credible actor in the hypersonic domain. In terms of deterrence, Dark Eagle provides the U.S. Army with a tool to strike time-sensitive, high-value targets deep inside denied areas, thereby neutralizing threats before they can be used. It also opens new possibilities for multi-domain operations, where land-based missile systems can support naval and air missions.

The U.S. Army's deployment of Dark Eagle in 2025 is more than a technological milestone—it's a strategic inflection point. It redefines the U.S. Army’s role in long-range precision fires and alters the calculus of power in an increasingly multipolar and contested world. As China and Russia continue to refine and expand their hypersonic arsenals, the arrival of Dark Eagle ensures that the U.S. is no longer a bystander in this critical race, but a formidable competitor with the capability to shape the battlefield of the future.