On April 25, 2025, the Pentagon conducted another test of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a ground-based hypersonic missile also known as Dark Eagle, at the Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida. This was reported by the US Department of Defense, emphasizing that the test was an important step in the hypersonic weapons development program designed to reduce the gap with Russia and China. The successful launch, which was also reported by users on the X platform, confirms the US progress in creating strategically significant weapons with a range of up to 3000 km and a speed exceeding 6 thousand km/h.

According to RBC, the Dark Eagle missile was launched using a standard launcher, which was a key difference from previous tests. The tests, conducted on December 12, 2024, already demonstrated the missile’s ability to hit targets at a distance of up to 2775–3000 km, and its maneuverable hypersonic block Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) complicates interception by missile defense systems. The current test, according to the Pentagon, allowed for the collection of additional data on the operation of ground equipment and software, which brings the US Army closer to deploying the first LRHW battery in fiscal year 2025.

The Dark Eagle program, launched in 2019 by Lockheed Martin, Dynetics, and Northrop Grumman, has been plagued by setbacks. In 2023, tests were canceled twice due to launcher issues, and in June 2022, a Hawaii test ended in failure when the glide vehicle failed to reach its target. However, successful launches in June and December 2024, as well as the current test, have restored optimism in the Pentagon. The cost of each missile is estimated at $41 million, according to The War Zone, highlighting the high costs of a program aimed at achieving parity with Russia and China.

Dark Eagle is a two-stage solid-fuel missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle capable of maneuvering at altitudes of up to 100 km at speeds of up to Mach 17 in certain sections of its trajectory. The battery of the complex includes a command and control vehicle and four transporters with two launch containers each. The missile is designed to destroy strategic targets, including air defense systems and command posts, and is considered a response to the Russian Kinzhal and Tsirkon, as well as the Chinese DF-17.

The tests have raised concerns in Europe, particularly following the US decision to deploy Dark Eagle to Germany, which was reported in August 2024.