The US Army plans to deploy a second Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system in 2026, despite doubts about its effectiveness

LRHW/Dark Eagle

Despite growing doubts from experts and criticism about combat lethality and reliability, the US Army remains committed to its hypersonic weapons program and has announced plans to deploy a second Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system in 2026.

The system, officially known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), is part of the Pentagon's strategy to create a new generation of high-speed strike weapons capable of bypassing the most advanced air and missile defense systems. The main element of the LRHW is the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile itself, which can reach speeds of more than Mach 5 (17,000 km/h) and is equipped with an Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) maneuvering warhead.

The first battery was officially put into service in 2023 after a series of successful, albeit limited, tests. However, since then, a number of analysts and specialists have raised questions about the real combat value of the system. In particular:

- Accuracy problems when hitting mobile or low-visibility targets;

- High cost of development and production;

- A limited number of launches for a full reliability assessment;

- The complexity of logistics and integration into existing command structures.

Nevertheless, the US Department of Defense believes that hypersonic technologies are a key element of future strategic parity, especially in light of similar programs by Russia and China, which have already deployed their own hypersonic complexes such as Avangard and DF-17.

The deployment of the second system in 2026 will be an important stage in the process of building operational capabilities, and will also allow additional field tests to be conducted in conditions close to combat. According to Pentagon officials, the goal is not only to strengthen the US position in the hypersonic race, but also to develop tactics for using such systems in multinational coalitions.

In the future, the LRHW/Dark Eagle program may become the basis for creating a flexible and distributed network of hypersonic strike systems compatible with NATO and other allies.