After two years of continuous unsuccessful attempts, the U.S. Army has finally managed to conduct its first successful test launch of the hypersonic missile Dark Eagle, also known as LRHW, which is priced at $41 million based on 2023 rates.
The tests took place on Thursday, December 12, 2024, with the launch occurring from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, as reported by The War Zone portal.
The authors of the publication emphasize that the main issue during the Dark Eagle tests had been the launch system, rather than the missile itself, which is structurally more complex (two stages + hypersonic glider). However, the successful test launch indicates that the problematic "bottlenecks" with the launch system have finally been resolved.
It is also noted that a battery of LHRW was involved in the test launch, which included a mobile command post and the Transporter Erector launch system. This indicates that the U.S. military not only successfully launched Dark Eagle but also tested the functionality of all components of the system.
To support these tests, the American military deployed a fleet of specialized aircraft – one NASA WB-57F aircraft, a U.S. Navy NP-3D support plane, and two specially modified High Altitude Observatory (HALO) Gulfstream business jets from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency fleet.
NASA's WB-57 N926NA is active off the coast of Florida ahead of the expected launch of the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the US Army. Missile Defense Agency aircraft N551HA as HALO51 and NP-3D BLOODHOUND341 are down range to observe. https://t.co/JJigRZOKQB pic.twitter.com/ReK2W2yTmJ— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) December 12, 2024
The activity of these aircraft, noted by spotters, was one of the indirect signs that important tests of the latest missile technology for the U.S. Army were taking place at Cape Canaveral.
From Defense Express, we emphasize that the fact of the first successful tests of the hypersonic Dark Eagle for the U.S. is significant from multiple perspectives. Firstly, the successful launch means that the U.S. Army is on track to receive its first operational LHRW battery in 2025, and the U.S. Navy will also receive the corresponding hypersonic weapon (as Dark Eagle is intended for naval deployment).
Furthermore, when the U.S. armed forces begin to receive operational hypersonic systems, the White House will be able to achieve parity in this type of weaponry compared to Russia and China, the main adversaries.
To remind you of the specifications of the LRHW: flight speed – 4.9 Mach, range – up to 3100 km, warhead weight – unknown, division composition – 4 launch systems with 8 missiles.