U.S. Unveils Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapon Capable of Striking Moscow from London

During a visit to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the site will become the new headquarters of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM).

At the same location, new details about the Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon system were revealed, according to The War Zone.

During the presentation, Lieutenant General Francisco Lozano said that the Dark Eagle has a range of approximately 3,500 kilometers. He explained that the system could strike mainland China if launched from Guam, Moscow if launched from London, and Tehran if launched from Qatar.

Previously, the Pentagon had officially stated a range of at least 2,775 kilometers. However, it is unclear whether the new figure reflects an upgrade or whether the earlier numbers were deliberately understated.

Another Army officer said that the Dark Eagle’s warhead weighs less than 13.6 kilograms. This is significantly lighter than the warheads of many intermediate-range missiles and even lighter than that of the AIM-120. According to him, it is designed to strike an area roughly the size of a parking lot.

The primary destructive effect is delivered by the kinetic impact of the hypersonic vehicle itself. At the same time, the use of a high-explosive fragmentation warhead can be effective against ‘soft’ targets such as air defense batteries or radar systems.

The officer also noted that the Dark Eagle is capable of covering its maximum range in less than 20 minutes.

As recently as last year, the Pentagon expressed doubts about the system’s lethality. Reports emphasized the need to include realistic targets in testing.

Despite delays in development, the U.S. Army planned to make the Dark Eagle operational by the end of the fiscal year 2025. One battery has already been deployed at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, with another expected to arrive in the near future.

Hegseth also asked about production rates. According to officers, one system is currently being produced per month, with plans to increase the pace to two per month – 24 systems per year.

The Dark Eagle, also known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), is a trailer-launched hypersonic glide vehicle. It is capable of traveling long distances at speeds exceeding Mach 5 while maneuvering within the atmosphere.

Potential targets include enemy air defense systems, command-and-control nodes, and sensor complexes. This will be the first hypersonic weapon to enter service with the U.S. Army. A similar structure is being used by the U.S. Navy under the IRCPS program for sea-based launch.