Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. (August 8, 2024): America’s military has debuted a hypersonic weapon that is truly stunning. In this photo by Captain Ryan DeBooy, a Soldier assigned to Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery (Long Range Fires Battalion), 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, operates the transporter/erector launcher for the Army’s new Long Range Hypersonic Weapon.

Known as Dark Eagle, this truck launched system can fire a missile that travels well over 3,800 mph and can hit a target at a range of 1,725 miles. The projectile reaches the limit of the earth’s atmosphere, above air, and missile defense range, before plunging to strike the enemy before they have time to react.

The Army introduced their new weapon during Exercise Resolute Hunter, a Navy led series of field problems that integrated hypersonic weapons into America’s arsenal for the first time. Each battery includes four launchers with two missiles each, a battery command unit, and an operations support vehicle. 

The Army announced earlier this year that it has awarded Lockheed Martin a $756-million contract for additional batteries while the Navy has ambitious plans to add hypersonic weaponry aboard its warships.

America has entered the hypersonic age with this historic first step.