Uploaded by US Youtube channel
Straight Arrow News (SAN) on August 6, 2025 here and above.
---
As an AUKUS (Pillar 2) alliance affirming political gesture Dark Eagle was recently displayed in Australia (see a still 20 seconds into the video above). But it probably was not actually test launched there. This was Dark Eagle's first display outside the continental US. Specifically Dark Eagle was displayed in August 2025 during this year’s Talisman Sabre 2025 military exercise in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Drawing from Wiki's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-Range_Hypersonic_Weapon
The LRHW aka Dark Eagle,[8]
is an intermediate-range surface-to-surface boost-glide hypersonic
weapon being developed for use by the US Army.
- Each of these missiles costs around US$20 million.
- Wiki's right sidebar indicates each
missile:
- Weighs 7,400kg
[1]
- Diameter of booster is (reportedly)[4] 0.88m
- Operational Range is 2,776km [5][6]
- Maximum
speed Mach ≥5 source [7]
The USN intends to procure
a ship/submarine-launched variant of the LRHW as part of the USN's Intermediate-Range
Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) program.[2]
The
weapon consists of a large rocket booster that carries the unpowered
Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) in a nose cone. Once the booster
reaches significant altitude and speed, it releases the C-HGB, which glides
at hypersonic speeds as it descends towards its target. Dynetics will
build the hypersonic glide body, while Lockheed Martin will build the booster as well as assemble the missile and launch
equipment.[9]
The C-HGB has been successfully
tested in October 2017, March 2020,[10][11] 28
June 2024,[12] and
12 December 2024.[13] The LRHW had been planned to enter service with the Army in 2023.[14] The USN intends to field the weapon aboard its Zumwalt-class destroyers by
2025[14] and
later on its Block V Virginia-class submarines[15] in
2028-2029.
The LRHW was intended to also be fielded on the USN's Ohio-class guided missile variants (SSGNs) but funding delays and the Ohio SSGNs’ impending retirement caused those plans
to be scrapped.[16]
10 comments:
Hypersonic weapons are becoming more widespread:
New North Korean Hypersonic Missile Unveiled At Pyongyang Arms Expo:
https://www.twz.com/land/new-north-korean-hypersonic-missile-unveiled-at-pyongyang-arms-expo
China Test-Launches New DF-26D Hypersonic ‘Guam Killer’ Missile:
https://armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/china-test-launches-new-df-26d-hypersonic-guam-killer-missile
Dhvani: The Indian hypersonic beast that Pakistan can't stop and China can't ignore:
https://www.wionews.com/opinions/dhvani-the-indian-hypersonic-beast-that-pakistan-can-t-stop-and-china-can-t-ignore-1759553143527
Iran’s Hypersonic Missiles Summed Up in 4 Words:
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/irans-hypersonic-missiles-summed-up-in-4-words/
Thanks Anonymous at 10/08/2025 4:49 AM
Of NK's hypersonic progress the following might be accurate in the unclassified world:
"How close the Hwasong-11Ma/Hwasong-11E might be to becoming an operational capability is unknown. North Korea claims to have flight-tested multiple hypersonic boost-glide vehicle designs since at least 2021, but there continue to be questions about what degree of actual capability the country has achieved in this regard. Viable wedge-shaped boost-glide vehicles have historically been extremely difficult to design and then bring to an operational state. It is possible, if not very plausible, that North Korea has and continues to receive assistance in the development of hypersonic weapons from Russia and/or China." see https://www.twz.com/land/new-north-korean-hypersonic-missile-unveiled-at-pyongyang-arms-expo
China is easily capable of producing DF-21D and DF-26D Hypersonic missiles https://armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/china-test-launches-new-df-26d-hypersonic-guam-killer-missile
I wonder if India's Dhvani hypersonic missile https://www.wionews.com/opinions/dhvani-the-indian-hypersonic-beast-that-pakistan-can-t-stop-and-china-can-t-ignore-1759553143527 "
uses long awaited Russian assisted BrahMos-II WARHEAD technology?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos-II
Of Iranian hypersonic developments the observations here https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/irans-hypersonic-missiles-summed-up-in-4-words/ might be accurate:
"Based on the speed of its hypersonic missile development is highly likely that Iran received information and weaponry from Russia, one of the worlds leaders in hypersonic missile technology.
Due to Iran’s isolated state, and its close relations with Russia, it is doubtful that Iran developed and built an advanced hypersonic missile without help from Russia."
Pete
Hi Pete
Thanks for your article on the Dark Eagle (LRHW), I too have been following with interest progress by the US with this emerging capability. I would suggest the LRHW is similar to the DF-17 in terms of design i.e. a boost-glide vehicle rather than a conventional balistic missile, although the LRHW may have a longer range than the DF-17. Something I haven't been able to confirm is whether the LRHW has an anti-ship capability, a feature claimed by the DF-17. Given China is in the process of building its first nuclear powered supercarrier, the Type 004, and will be able to project force well beyond its territory, a long range land based hypersonic missile with anti ship capability would seem beneficial. From an Australian perspective, such capability could provide the outer ring of a land based A2AD.
Cheers
Maybe Australiawill buy Indian Hypersonic weapons someday:
India and Australia sign a security deal that includes military talks and
submarine cooperation:
https://apnews.com/article/australia-india-security-military-submarine-7d49e36bbe9f61411fed3146f7bd8919
Japan is also arming up:
Japan Announces Deployment Plans for Upgraded Type-12 SSM and
Hypersonic Glide Missile:
https://theaviationist.com/2025/09/03/japan-announces-deployment-ssm-hypersonic-missiles/
Japan Will Arm Its Submarines With Long-Range Cruise Missiles:
https://www.twz.com/sea/japan-will-arm-its-submarines-with-long-range-cruise-missiles
Hi Anonymous at 10/09/2025 8:15 PM
Re "Something I haven't been able to confirm is whether the LRHW has an anti-ship capability, a feature claimed by the DF-17."
As "Dark Eagle" is under development and at the army weapon use stage less emphasis may be given to it having an anti-ship capability. Once it matures for naval use, as the more generalised LRHW, it may have anti-ship capability around 2030 if it doesn't have that capability already.
Yes US long range hypersonic anti-ship capability against Chinese carrier groups would be good news for the US and welcomed into the Australian arsenal under AUKUS Pillar 2.
Regards Pete
Hi Anonymous at 10/10/2025 8:42 AM
One concern I have is an Indian hypersonic missile and/or glide body might have a significant amount of Russian tech - meaning Russia might not permit India to export to Australia.
For example see the future hypersonic Indian-Russian BrahMos-II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos-II
"...currently under joint development by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia..."
Regards Pete
Hi Anonymous at 10/10/2025 3:09 PM
It's good for Japan's economy and defence independence that Japan is not relying on a potentially isolationist USA for hypersonic missiles. Rather Japan is developing its own hypersonic missiles. Such missiles may not need to be as long range as US developed missiles because threats to Japan (from North Korea, Russia and China) are at short or medium range.
Regards Pete
This might be worth exploring on value for money grounds alone. At US$20 million each (Aus$30 million) Dark Eagle is four times the cost of Tomahawk BlockV. I'm sure it is harder to shoot down, but is it harder to shoot down than four Tomahawks? I suspect the equivalent number of Brahmos would be even greater. I am an engineer not in the ADF, so perhaps there are other factors I am unaware of, even so I have struggled for a while with the ADF's obsession with always getting the best, regardless of cost. The overwhelming evidence from Ukraine is that numbers beats quality.
Hi Scott at 10/11/2025 10:16 PM
What you write is very true.
And I'd add another element, size (specifically diameter) of the missiles.
The Block III or IV Virginias, which Australia MAY get in 2043 have 2 × Virginia payload tubes of 0.88m diameter, each capable of launching six Tomahawks.
With the estimated diameter of Dark Eagles also being 0.88m Australia's Virginias could only launch 2 Dark Eagles. This is inadequate on strategic, cost, and throw-weight grounds.
China, the likely target, may well find it easier to shoot down 2 Dark Eagles, than 12 stealthy Tomahawks.
Cheers Pete
Post a Comment