Dark Eagle: The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon Explained in One Word

Epic: The US Army recently conducted a successful test. Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW)nicknamed Black EagleIt flew in an operational configuration over 2,000 miles. Dark Eagle combines Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman rocket booster with Navy-led rocket booster Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB).

-This Mach 5+ hypersonic missile system is designed to evade existing air defenses and counter China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies in the Pacific.

-Operational service is expected to begin in 2025, with the first battery being installed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. The system promises to significantly increase US capabilities in the Pacific region.

How Could Dark Eagle Hypersonic Missiles Counter China’s Pacific Strategy?

The U.S. Army recently completed a successful “end-to-end” flight test of its soon-to-be-launched surface-launched hypersonic missile, known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, a few months ago, or worse, Black Eagle. The weapon was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, HI, and flew in what is commonly referred to as an “all-in” configuration; This means that the missile is already almost operationally equipped.

Dark Eagle is a truck-launched missile system consisting of a two-stage rocket booster developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman designed to carry the Navy-led Joint Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) to sufficient speed and altitude. Once they get up, C-HGB It separates from its thruster and begins to glide at high speed towards its target, maintaining speeds in excess of Mach 5 while maneuvering. This combination of speed and unpredictability makes intercepting such a weapon almost impossible with most existing air defense systems.

Congressional Research Service reports The Dark Eagle missile system has an operational range of 2,725 miles, a top speed well over Mach 5, and the ability to defeat adversaries’ “anti-access/area denial capabilities”; This is a direct reference to China’s Defense strategy in 1950. The Pacific relies on long-range weapons systems that China can use to keep American warships and aircraft carriers at bay, allowing the country to assert full sovereignty over the entire South China Sea and beyond.

Interestingly, despite the reported range of 2,725 miles, the Army 28 Juneroughly saw the missile cover 2,000 miles From the launch site in Hawaii to the impact point at a test site in the Marshall Islands.

C-HGB also serves as the HGV basis for the Navy’s ship-launched Intermediate-Range Conventional Rapid Attack (IRCPS) weapon; This weapon will operate similarly but is intended to serve on the Navy’s stealth ships. Zumwalt class destroyers.

Hypersonic Glide Vehicles are one of two classes of modern hypersonic weapons and the only type currently believed to be in service with any nation. China has a similar weapon in the uplifted DF-ZF via the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile designed for anti-ship missions; Russia’s nuclear Avangard Heavy Vehicle is intended to be delivered via the country’s newest intercontinental missile. ballistic missile RS-28 Sarmat.

The other type of modern hypersonic weapons, hypersonic cruise missiles, fly under power using exotic propulsion systems such as scramjets. Many such weapons are under development, and although Russia has made claims about putting one of them into service, there is evidence to suggest that no HCM has entered operational use to date.

Dark Eagle encountered a number of difficulties in early testing, including a number of booster failures and launcher-related problems sourced from Lockheed Martin; however, most of the problems in particular appeared to be linked to supporting systems rather than C-HGB. itself. This reflects the difficulties the US Air Force faced in testing another hypersonic glide vehicle, the AGM-183A ARRW; This vehicle still has an uncertain future due to long testing woes.

On the other hand, Dark Eagle and its C-HGB may now be moving towards active service, as the Army has previously stated that the weapon system is ready to go into production and a successful public flight test is expected. Army officials claimed that the first truly production-quality weapon could be delivered in just six weeks after the missile proved itself in tests, while the first battery of eight missiles could be delivered within 11 months.

Once in service, each of the U.S. Army’s Dark Eagle batteries will consist of four Transporter Erector Launchers on modified M870A4 trailers, with two missiles mounted on each launcher for a total of eight per battery. Two more vehicles, a Battery Operations Center (BOC) for command and control and a BOC support vehicle, will handle the remainder of the launch-related missions.

The 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, will stand up its first Black Eagle battery when it reaches operational service, which the Army projects in 2025.

About the Author: Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings is a writer, father and sailor.

This article first published By Sandboxx News.