Army expects to complete fielding of Dark Eagle hypersonic missile in ‘early 2026’
After years of testing mishaps and schedule delays, the Army says it has begun the fielding process for its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system.
Fielding activities for the missile, also known as Dark Eagle, began in December and are expected to wrap up in the next few months, an Army spokesperson told DefenseScoop on Tuesday. Once delivery of the entire battery is complete, Dark Eagle will be the United States’ first-ever operational hypersonic weapon system. Although some of the ballistic missiles — such as ICBMs — that are already in the U.S military’s inventory can fly at hypersonic speeds, they typically don’t possess the same flight characteristics as the new hypersonics that are in the works.
Developed by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, Dark Eagle is a ground-launched boost-glide missile able to fly at speeds of Mach 5 or greater while maneuvering unpredictably through the Earth’s atmosphere. The technology is one of several hypersonic weapons that the Pentagon has been working for years to develop and field as a way to counter adversary air defense systems and munitions in the Indo-Pacific.
The Army’s schedule for delivering Dark Eagle to the field has slipped multiple times over the years, largely due to technical issues that were discovered during the weapon’s flight test phase. As a result, the service scrubbed several tests and ultimately failed to meet its original fielding deadline before the end of fiscal 2023.
Following a successful test at the end of 2024, the Army asserted it would be able to deliver Dark Eagle to the first unit by September 2025. The service failed to meet its second deadline, but claimed the weapon would be fielded before the end of the year, according to a report from Bloomberg.
However, the Army did not clarify whether it intended to begin fielding or complete the process by the end of 2025.
“Fielding activities include the required integration, safety, and readiness steps to ensure soldiers receive a system that is reliable, sustainable, and effective in operational environments and are on track for completion in early 2026,” the spokesperson told DefenseScoop.
The service’s LRHW program was developed in conjunction with the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike project. The two weapons share a common hypersonic glide body system that the Army will integrate with ground launchers and the Navy can launch from Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines once fielded.
A single Army Dark Eagle battery comprises four trailer-mounted transporter erector launchers — each equipped with two all-up rounds plus canisters — as well as a battery operations center and support vehicle. In December, the service officially stood up the first unit based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state that will operate the system.
“As the Army moves toward completion of fielding, it remains focused on rigorous testing, training, and system maturity to support successful operational employment,” the spokesperson said.
