By Tang Jun
According to foreign media reports, the US Central Command has submitted a request to deploy the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system to the Middle East. If approved, this would mark the first operational deployment of US hypersonic missiles in an actual combat theater.
The Dark Eagle is a hypersonic missile system jointly developed by the US Army and Navy. Development began in March 2019. The Army refers to it as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), while the Navy designates it as the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system.
The US military originally planned to field the system with the Army in 2023 and achieve initial operational capability by 2025. However, plans have not kept pace with reality, as the delivery schedule for the missile system has repeatedly slipped. In December 2024, the system completed its first full configuration test launch successfully. Although the missile was delivered to the US Army in 2025, US media reported in January this year that the Army once again failed to meet its self-imposed timeline for fielding its first hypersonic weapon, indicating that one of the Pentagon's top-priority programs continues to lag behind schedule.
Even as the Dark Eagle system remains in the process of achieving full combat capability, and with the total number of missiles expected to be only around 20, the US military is still seeking to deploy it in the Middle East, a move that appears to be pushing an immature capability into operational use before it is fully ready. Then, what is the purpose behind the US military's urgency in pushing the Dark Eagle missile into combat use?
First, the range and speed of the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile meet the US military's requirements for striking Iran's deep, time-sensitive targets. Iran has reportedly moved its missile launch systems beyond the range of existing US land-based precision strike systems. While the US Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile offers long range, its subsonic speed limits its effectiveness against highly mobile targets. The Dark Eagle missile has a range of over 2,800 kilometers. If deployed in the Middle East, it could cover the entirety of Iran.
With a top speed of up to Mach 17, the missile can compress time and distance significantly, reaching targets more than 1,000 kilometers away within just over ten minutes after launch. This would enable the US military to strike high-value, time-sensitive targets of Iran in a very short timeframe, such as mobile missile launchers and command-and-control facilities. Given its extremely high speed, Iran would have a very limited ability to intercept the Dark Eagle missile.
Second, the US military aims to use real-world operations to test the missile's mobility and strike capability. Although the system has not yet achieved full operational maturity, the US Army has already begun deploying it in overseas mobility exercises. In August last year, as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, US Army units deployed the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to Australia for the first time.
Third, by publicizing potential Dark Eagle deployments, the US is seeking to intensify maximum pressure on Iran. Washington is attempting to send a signal to Tehran that the US has the capability to destroy missile launchers and bases in any future escalation. This reflects a typical "brinkmanship" approach, designed to force Iran into concessions at the negotiating table.
Finally, the move also serves as a response to Iran's operational use of hypersonic missiles, while simultaneously sending a domestic signal that the US also possesses hypersonic capabilities and is prepared to employ them in real-world combat scenarios. According to Iranian statements, Iran has used its Fattah series hypersonic missiles in combat. These missiles are reported to have repeatedly penetrated US and Israeli missile defense systems and struck intended targets, which Tehran has also highlighted extensively in its information and public diplomacy campaigns. Against this backdrop, the US deployment of the Dark Eagle missile in the Middle East is also intended to demonstrate to the domestic audience that the US military has made progress in this field, thereby reinforcing support for the continued development of hypersonic weapons.
As Russia and Iran have both operationalized hypersonic missiles in combat, criticism within the US over its own hypersonic weapons programs has also grown. Therefore, the US military's urgency in pushing the Dark Eagle system toward operational use reflects not only military considerations, but also political and strategic communication objectives.
Although the US and Iran have maintained a temporary ceasefire since April 9, this move by Washington indicates that it is still preparing for potential future military strike operations. At present, both sides are using the ceasefire period to regroup and rearm, suggesting that any future escalation could be even more intense. If hostilities break out again, US and Iranian hypersonic missiles could potentially face each other directly on the battlefield.
Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.