News: The US Army plans to deploy the Dark Eagle LRHW on a mobile, land-based platform, while the US Navy will field its Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) version for launch from surface ships and submarines.
About Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)
- The Dark Eagle is a long-range hypersonic missile system developed by U.S.A.
- It is designed to deliver fast, precise, and hard-to-intercept conventional strikes against high-value targets.
- The US Navy will deploy a naval version called Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), which can be launched from surface ships and submarines.
- Features:
- Dark Eagle is an intermediate-range boost-glide hypersonic weapon.
- It uses a booster rocket that carries a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) inside the nose cone.
- Working Mechanism: After launch, the booster rocket carries the glide body to a high altitude and speed. The glide body then separates and travels toward the target by gliding at hypersonic speeds while maneuvering unpredictably.
- Range and Speed: The missile has a reported range of about 3,500 km and travels at speeds exceeding Mach 5. Analysis suggests that its cruising speed may approach Mach 10 to reach maximum range in under 20 minutes.
- Dark Eagle flies at low altitudes and performs unpredictable maneuvers. This reduces the reaction time available to enemy air defense systems.
- The missile reportedly carries a small blast-fragmentation warhead with a limited explosive charge.
- Its destructive capability mainly comes from extremely high kinetic energy and high-velocity fragmentation at impact.
- Dark Eagle is well-suited for striking air defense systems, command-and-control centers, and military infrastructure. Its wide fragment dispersion increases effectiveness even if precision is affected by electronic warfare.
- The missile’s speed, maneuverability, and low-altitude flight make it very difficult to intercept using current air defense systems such as the S-400 or S-500.
- The launcher is mounted on a mobile, truck-based platform, making detection and pre-emptive strikes difficult. The system can also be airlifted and rapidly deployed to forward locations.
