Illustrative image. (U.S. Army/Photo Credit: Spc. Chandler Coats)
The United States military is reportedly considering sending its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as the Dark Eagle, intermediate-range surface-to-surface boost-glide hypersonic weapon to possibly strike ballistic missile launchers embedded in Iran, Bloomberg reported on April 29.
A person with direct knowledge on the matter told the news outlets that the request, which was made by the Central Command (CENTCOM), justified the deployment of a hypersonic weapon, arguing that the Iranian regime has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which can hit targets more than 500 kilometers.
If given the green light, the move would mark the first time the U.S. military has deployed a hypersonic weapon during an actual conflict.
The Dark Eagle technically still listed as under development and not yet operational. It has a reported range of 3,500 kilometers and is specifically made for “long range conventional precision strike capability” against “time-sensitive and heavily defended targets,” according to the Library of Congress.
The weapon consists of a large rocket booster that carries the unpowered Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) in a nose cone. Once the booster reaches significant altitude and speed, it releases the C-HGB, which glides at hypersonic speeds — over Mach 5 — as it descends towards its target.
Each missile costs around $15 million, and there are no more than eight, the source told Bloomberg, which noted that each battery will also cost roughly $2.7 billion.
The justification for the deployment of the hypersonic weapon given by CENTCOM does not make sense as the U.S. military has many other means to target ballistic missile launchers embedded in Iran.
The system will likely end up getting deployed anyway in order to increase pressure on Iran. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume war against Iran since the start of the ceasefire, and with efforts to reach a peace deal stalled, this is becoming more likely.
If the war resumes, CENTCOM will likely use the Dark Eagle not because it needs it, but as an operational test to verify its capabilities.
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