Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon

During Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, the U.S. Army executes its first-ever forward deployment of the Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) to Guam in the Western Pacific. The deployment places a ground-launched U.S. hypersonic missile system within direct striking distance of mainland China’s eastern seaboard and coastal defence networks.

Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW):

Dimension	Key Details
Weapon class	Dark Eagle is a ground-launched, conventionally armed, two-stage boost-glide hypersonic missile system.
Speed	The system exceeds Mach 5 (over 6,000 km/h).
Operational range	The estimated operational range is between 2,775 km and 3,500 km.
Launch mechanism	A two-stage solid rocket booster propels the unpowered Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) into the upper atmosphere, after which the C-HGB detaches and glides toward the target at hypersonic speeds while performing mid-flight manoeuvres.
Mobility and battery composition	A full operational battery comprises 4 Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) trucks carrying 2 missiles each (8 rounds total), supported by a mobile Battery Operations Center.
Targets and response profile	The system authorises a rapid-response capability to hit high-value targets within minutes, including radar installations, command centres, and anti-ship missile batteries, without relying on airfield or naval carrier operations.
Geographic coverage from Guam	Positioned in Guam, it covers potential conflict zones across the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, and major People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval bases in Eastern and Southern China.
China hypersonic systems referenced	China already fields deployed operational hypersonic systems, including the DF-17 (medium-range) and the DF-27 (intermediate-range boost-glide missile).