US’ new hypersonic missile can hit targets 2,175-mile away in just 20 minutes

US Army officials have disclosed new details about America’s long-range hypersonic weapon program during a recent visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, offering a clearer picture of the reach and intended role of the Army’s first operational hypersonic strike system.

During the visit, Hegseth announced that Redstone Arsenal will become the new headquarters for the US Space Command.

As part of the tour, senior Army leaders briefed Hegseth and accompanying media on the service’s missile portfolio, including the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, also known as Dark Eagle, The War Zone reported. 

2,175-mile range hypersonic missile

Dark Eagle is a trailer-launched, ground-based hypersonic boost-glide weapon designed to strike high-value, time-sensitive targets at extreme distances. 

After launch, the missile boosts a glide vehicle to hypersonic speeds, exceeding Mach 5, before the vehicle separates and maneuvers through the atmosphere toward its target. 

Its speed, maneuverability, and depressed flight profile are intended to complicate detection and interception by advanced air and missile defenses.

Lt. Gen. Francisco Lozano, the Army’s director for hypersonic, directed energy, space, and rapid acquisition, told Hegseth that Dark Eagle has a range of about 3,500 kilometers, or roughly 2,175 miles. 

The briefing, which C-SPAN recorded, included Lozano’s remarks that the weapon could theoretically reach mainland China if launched from Guam, Moscow from Western Europe, or Tehran from the Gulf region.

Those statements suggest a longer reach than earlier publicly stated figures. Previous Pentagon disclosures had put Dark Eagle’s range at a minimum of 1,725 miles (2,775 kilometers). 

It’s not clear whether the increase stems from changes in design and testing results or from intentionally low previous numbers. This is a common practice when discussing sensitive missile capabilities.

Guam to China in 20 minutes 

Another Army officer briefed Hegseth on the weapon’s payload, describing a warhead weighing less than 30 pounds. 

That is small compared with conventional long-range strike weapons, but officials emphasized that Dark Eagle’s destructive effect relies heavily on kinetic energy generated by its extreme speed. 

The officer said the warhead’s primary function is to disperse projectiles, producing effects over an area roughly the size of a large parking lot.

Military analysts have long noted that hypersonic boost-glide vehicles can inflict significant damage through sheer impact force, even with relatively small warheads. 

A blast-fragmentation payload, as suggested during the briefing, would further enhance the weapon’s ability to disable “soft” targets, such as radar installations, air defense systems, and command-and-control nodes.

The same officer said Dark Eagle could cover its maximum range in less than 20 minutes, highlighting the system’s value for prompt strike missions against heavily defended or fleeting targets. 

Such speed sharply reduces an adversary’s warning and reaction time, a key factor driving US investment in hypersonic weapons.

Dark Eagle is slated to become the first hypersonic weapon deployed for frontline US service. 

The Navy is developing a closely related system, known as the Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike, using the same missile architecture for launch from surface ships and submarines.

Interest in the weapon’s lethality has been particularly high following reports last year that Pentagon testers had raised questions about its effectiveness against certain target sets. 

The latest disclosures suggest the Army remains confident that Dark Eagle will provide a powerful new conventional strike option as it moves closer to operational deployment.