LRHW (Dark Eagle) 2025: What’s New
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), now officially nicknamed Dark Eagle, is moving from the drawing board to field trials and limited deployment in 2025. What had long been a technically ambitious concept is now entering a critical phase of transition, with recent test successes, forward deployments, and a planned soldier-operated test later in the year.
The Army announced the moniker Dark Eagle in April 2025 following a series of system-level flight tests. The name is intended to evoke both lethal precision (“eagle”) and the weapon’s disruptive potential against adversary systems (“dark”).
Program Trajectory & Testing History
Flight test successes and delays
The LRHW program has endured several false starts. Earlier planned launches in 2023 were scrubbed during pre-flight checks. These setbacks, often attributed to launcher mechanical issues or integration problems, forced the Army to postpone initial fielding schedules.
By mid-2024, however, the program recorded a major breakthrough. In June 2024, an end-to-end test was conducted from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands, validating the hypersonic glide body release and flight path. Later, in December 2024, the Army and Navy jointly executed a live-fire “all-up-round” test using a battery’s command & launcher ensemble. That event marked the first time the system had been tested in a configuration closer to an operational deployment.
Path to operational fielding
According to a June 2025 Congressional Research Service report, the Army aims to field its first LRHW battery by the end of fiscal year 2025. The first battery is assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment under the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Procurement documents show the FY 2025 request included funding for ground support equipment and eight “all-up-round + canister” missiles for battery operations.
However, GAO’s 2025 Weapons Systems Annual Assessment highlights cost and schedule risks. The program’s estimated cost for the first battery has increased by about $150 million due to extra testing and retests. Battery 3 equipment awards have slipped from FY 2024 to Q3 FY 2025. Meanwhile, the Army intends to flight-test a slightly modified missile configuration in Q4 FY 2025 ahead of future battery deployments.
In public remarks in mid-2025, Army leadership emphasized upcoming tests and a push for cost efficiency. General Randy George described efforts to test “long-range missiles that are a tenth of the price” to deepen magazine depth.
Forward Deployment: Indo-Pacific & Australia
In a shift toward operational realism, the Army deployed an LRHW battery beyond continental U.S. for the first time in 2025. The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF) temporarily stationed the launchers in Australia’s Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, under U.S. Indo-Pacific Command oversight. The deployment served two purposes: demonstrating strategic mobility and reinforcing deterrence posture in a contested region. As Adm. Samuel Paparo (USINDOPACOM) remarked, the move validated power projection and command-and-control (C2) ability in forward theaters.
Participating in Talisman Sabre 2025 alongside Australian forces, the battery’s presence signals Washington’s willingness to forward-base advanced strike systems, potentially inside allied territory, to counter peer adversary threats.
2025 Outlook & Challenges
Next soldier-operated test
One key milestone on the 2025 calendar is a soldier-operated test slated for December, tying the launch to operational crews rather than test teams. Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano (Army Missiles & Space) has said that the test will coincide with training for the first field unit — a critical step toward operational viability. The Army also plans to transition program oversight from the Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to the formal PEO (Program Executive Office) Missiles & Space once first rounds are delivered.
Cost, testing demands, and stockpile size
Cost overrun concerns remain acute. Early cost estimates placed each LRHW missile at around $41 million in 2023 dollars; current procurement estimates now exceed that value. In tandem, the relatively high price may constrain quantities procured. Congressional oversight may demand tighter reporting on missile stockpiles and testing volumes.
Operational testing faces another limit: suitable test ranges. Hypersonic weapons require extended flight corridors and tracking support, and range availability constrains how many tests the Army can conduct without incurring additional costs or logistical challenges.
Strategic and doctrinal implications
Deploying a mobile, road-launch hypersonic strike capability gives the Army’s long-range fires portfolio a leap in reach, speed, and flexibility. The LRHW fills a doctrinal gap between theater ballistic missiles and over-the-horizon strike assets. In a contested A2/AD environment, the maneuvering glide phase and high terminal velocity make interception by current missile defenses exceptionally difficult.
However, its strategic value depends heavily on stockpile size, weapons cost, and integration with intelligence, targeting, and command networks. A handful of high-end missiles alone may not be sufficient to deter adversaries unless backed by supporting systems and credible rules of engagement.
Final Analysis
By mid-2025, the LRHW (Dark Eagle) program is at a pivotal juncture. The transition from prototype to practiced operator deployment is underway, with forward deployments and live battery tests offering proof of concept. But the program must now prove that it can be sustainable: affordable, logistically supportable, and flexible enough for real-world operational demands.
If successful, Dark Eagle could reshape how the U.S. projects precision strike capability in peer conflict zones — especially across the Indo-Pacific. But its real test will be in combining speed, lethality, survivability, and cost-effectiveness against adversary counters.
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FAQs
The LRHW is a boost-glide hypersonic missile system combining a rocket booster and a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB). After booster separation, the C-HGB glides at hypersonic speed (Mach ≥ 5) toward its target, with maneuverability to complicate interception.
The Army aims to field the first LRHW battery by the end of FY 2025. A soldier-operated test is planned for December 2025.
The program cites a range of approximately 1,725 miles (around 2,775 kilometers).
It demonstrates forward deployment capability, strategic reach, and alliance integration in the Indo-Pacific. It also signals the U.S. willingness to project long-range strike assets beyond its mainland.
Key challenges include cost growth, limited testing range infrastructure, integration and reliability of launch systems, and ensuring sufficient stockpiles to make deterrence credible.
