StoryManufacturing
US Army fields first operational Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon battery
The US Army began fielding Dark Eagle, the first operational hypersonic weapon. The Mach 5+ boost-glide system entered service with the first battery in December 2025, ending years of delays and test failures. A second battery is planned for Q4 2026.
- Mach 5+ speed with roughly 1,725-mile range makes it among the world's longest-range precision strike weapons
- Boost-glide design gives little warning and complicates air defense more than cruise missiles
- Delays and test mishaps over years drove up development cost; operational unit cost not disclosed
- Part of US strategy to counter Chinese and Russian hypersonic programs