Flash News: US Army to Field First Land-Based Variant of New LRHW Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon in 2025.

The U.S. Army is set to deploy its land mobile version of its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) to an operational unit by the end of 2025, as revealed in a recent U.S. Congress report released on February 27, 2025. This marks a significant leap forward in the U.S. Army's modernization efforts and highlights the growing importance of hypersonic technology in the evolving landscape of modern warfare. The LRHW is part of a broader strategy to ensure the U.S. military maintains its technological edge over adversaries who are rapidly developing advanced missile technologies.
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U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, demonstrate the capabilities of one of the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon LRHW Transporter Erector Launchers participating in exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3 on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., August 2, 2024. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

Hypersonic weapons, such as the LRHW (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon), are a category of missiles that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5—five times the speed of sound—and can even reach speeds up to Mach 20, or roughly 24,000 kilometers per hour. What sets these weapons apart from traditional missiles is their ability to travel at hypersonic speeds while maintaining maneuverability mid-flight. Unlike conventional ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable arc, hypersonic weapons can adjust their flight path during the missile's trajectory, making them much harder to intercept with existing missile defense systems. This combination of speed and maneuverability gives hypersonic weapons a clear advantage in both offensive and defensive operations, allowing them to evade interception and strike with extreme precision, making them a game-changer in modern military strategy.

The LRHW, designed to deliver these hypersonic capabilities, is a long-range, ground-launched missile system that combines an advanced hypersonic glide body with a conventional warhead. This combination enables the U.S. Army to strike targets at ranges far beyond those achievable by traditional artillery or missile systems. The LRHW has a reported range of approximately 2,776 kilometers (1,725 miles) and can travel at speeds exceeding 6,100 kilometers per hour (3,800 miles per hour). The weapon is capable of reaching the top of the Earth's atmosphere and remaining just beyond the reach of current air and missile defense systems until it is ready to strike, at which point it becomes nearly impossible to intercept or defend against. The LRHW can engage a variety of high-value targets, such as enemy command centers, naval fleets, missile defense sites, and strategic infrastructure, all with minimal warning. Its ability to reach these targets at extremely high speeds, coupled with its precision, makes it a formidable tool in both conventional and strategic warfare scenarios.

The LRHW system provides the U.S. Army with a strategic attack weapon designed to defeat Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities, suppress adversary long-range fires, and engage other high-priority or time-critical targets. As part of the U.S. Army’s modernization efforts, it is seen as a critical asset for deterring potential adversaries, particularly in regions where military access is restricted or contested. In addition, the U.S. Army’s LRHW development program is closely aligned with the U.S. Navy's efforts, enhancing the overall interoperability of the military’s hypersonic missile capabilities.

The LRHW is made up of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) and a 34.5-inch booster developed by the Navy, with the missile component being developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. The missile is designed to be launched from a land-based, truck-launched system, giving it the flexibility and mobility to be deployed in a wide variety of operational environments. When the hypersonic glide body is attached, it is referred to as the Navy-Army All Up Round plus Canister (AUR+C). This missile component serves as the common two-stage booster for both the U.S. Army’s LRHW and the U.S. Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, which can be fired from both surface vessels and submarines.

The U.S. Army’s integration of the LRHW into its arsenal represents a significant leap in strike capability, offering the ability to engage targets at long ranges, outpacing traditional missile defense systems. The weapon’s speed, maneuverability, and precision make it a formidable tool in the U.S. military’s arsenal, with the ability to deter adversaries and respond rapidly to evolving threats.

The deployment of hypersonic weapons like the LRHW is especially critical in the current geopolitical environment, where rival powers such as China and Russia are also developing similar technologies. The LRHW offers the U.S. Army a critical strategic advantage by ensuring that it can strike at high-priority targets in enemy territory at speeds that are difficult to defend against. The weapon's ability to rapidly change its trajectory mid-flight further complicates the task of intercepting or neutralizing the threat, making it an essential element in the U.S. military's deterrence strategy.

In August 2024, a significant milestone in the LRHW program occurred when the U.S. Army’s only LRHW battery, part of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), participated in Bamboo Eagle, an eight-day joint exercise led by the U.S. Air Force. The exercise, which took place across various locations in the U.S., was the first time that U.S. Army land-based fires were integrated into an Air Force-led exercise. Over 3,000 service members from the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and even allied forces like the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force participated. The integration of the LRHW into Bamboo Eagle 24-3 showcased the U.S. military's ability to operate across multiple domains, including land, air, sea, and cyber, in a coordinated and effective manner. This participation demonstrated the LRHW's potential for joint operations, proving that it could serve as a key element in integrated, multi-service military operations, providing a versatile and powerful strike capability.

The U.S. Army originally planned to deploy the LRHW to the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, specifically to the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade. However, the latest reports indicate that it is still unclear whether this specific unit will be the first to receive the LRHW, or if other units will be chosen for its initial deployment. Despite the uncertainty around the exact deployment location, the U.S. Army is on track to begin fielding the LRHW by the end of 2025, with the goal of having the system fully operational shortly thereafter.

Looking to the future, the LRHW is expected to be just the beginning of the U.S. Army's hypersonic missile program. The U.S. Army is continuing to refine the LRHW's capabilities and is also working on developing additional hypersonic systems, including air-launched and sea-launched variants. These systems will complement the LRHW, enabling the U.S. military to maintain a strategic edge in high-speed, precision strikes across various domains.

The importance of hypersonic weapons in modern warfare cannot be overstated. With their ability to strike rapidly and with precision, hypersonic missiles are seen as a key deterrent against adversaries who may otherwise feel emboldened to challenge U.S. military forces. These weapons represent a significant shift in how the U.S. military will engage in future conflicts, offering capabilities that are not only faster but also harder to predict and defend against. The LRHW, as part of the U.S. Army’s overall strategy, will provide a vital asset in future conflicts, allowing the U.S. to project power more effectively and rapidly than ever before, ensuring that it remains a dominant force in global military affairs.