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5d ago

CENTCOM Seeks First Deployment of ‘Dark Eagle’ Hypersonic Missile for Iran Contingency

The request reflects U.S. concern that Iranian missile launchers now sit beyond the reach of current Army rockets.

LRHW at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during Operation Thunderbolt Strike. Spc. Chandler Coats, US Army.
AT SEA, UNSPECIFIED - FEBRUARY 27: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout released by U.S. Central Command, U.S. Sailors transfer ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), on February 27, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by U.S. Central Command via Getty Images)
Caption: NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia ??? Soldiers from B Battery (Dark Eagle), 5th Battalion, 3d Field Artillery Regiment (LRFB), give a capabilities brief on the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System in Northern Territory, Australia, July 9, 2025. The battery is participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, the principal Australian-U.S. bilateral military exercise focused on high-end warfighting and enhancing allied interoperability. This is the first operational employment of the Dark Eagle system outside the continental U.S. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, strengthening interoperability and partnership through combined training and operations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Perla Alfaro) Photographer: Sgt. Perla Alfaro Provider: U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Source: Digital Copyright: Public Domain
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Overview

  • U.S. Central Command has asked to send the Army’s Long‑Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, and no approval has been announced.
  • Planners say Iran moved ballistic‑missile launchers beyond the Precision Strike Missile’s roughly 300‑mile reach, spurring a push for Dark Eagle’s near‑1,700‑mile range and a glide vehicle that flies faster than Mach 5 and can dodge defenses.
  • If cleared, this would be the first operational U.S. deployment of a land‑based hypersonic weapon, with readiness in dispute as a defense official told Fox News it has initial operational capability but other reports say it is not yet declared fully operational.
  • Stocks are thin and costly, with about eight missiles available at roughly $15 million each and an estimated $2.7 billion for a full battery, raising trade‑offs as other precision munitions run low.
  • The request lands during a fragile ceasefire as the president reviews options for “short and powerful” strikes reported by multiple outlets, and analysts say any deployment would also signal U.S. hypersonic progress to China and Russia.