link to page 1 
Updated March 13, 2024
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW):
Dark Eagle
What Is the Army’s Long-Range
booster for the Army’s LRHW and the Navy’s
Hypersonic Weapon?
Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) system, which can be
The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW),
fired from both surface vessels and submarines.
also known as Dark Eagle (Figure 1), with a reported range
of 1,725 miles, consists of a ground-launched missile
Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB)
equipped with a hypersonic glide body and associated
The C-HGB is reportedly based on the Alternate Re-Entry
transport, support, and fire control equipment. According to
System developed by the Army and Sandia National
the Army,
Laboratories. Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos, is currently
under contract to produce C-HGB prototypes for the Army
This land-based, truck-launched system is armed
and Navy. The C-HGB uses a booster rocket motor to
with hypersonic missiles that can travel well over
accelerate to well above hypersonic speeds and then
3,800 miles per hour. They can reach the top of the
jettisons the expended rocket booster. The C-HGB, which
Earth’s atmosphere and remain just beyond the
can travel at Mach 5 or higher on its own, is planned to be
range of air and missile defense systems until they
maneuverable, potentially making it more difficult to detect
are ready to strike, and by then it’s too late to react.
and intercept.
Figure 1. Artist Rendition of a Notional LRHW Unit
LRHW Organization and Units
The LRHW is organized into batteries. According to the
Army “a LRHW battery consists of four Transporter
Erector Launchers on modified M870A4 trailers, each
equipped with two AUR+Cs (eight in total), one Battery
Operations Center (BOC) for command and control, and a
BOC support vehicle.”
The 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment at Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Washington, was designated to operate
the first battery of eight LRHW missiles. The battalion, also
referred to as a Strategic Long-Range Fires battalion, is part
of the Army’s 1st Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF), a unit
in the Indo Pacific-oriented I Corps stationed at Joint Base
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/
Lewis-McChord. Other LRHW batteries are planned for
a36421213/army-hypersonic-weapon-1700-mile-range/, accessed
Strategic Long-Range Fires battalions in the remaining
November 18, 2021.
MDTFs scheduled for activation.
The Army further notes
LRHW Testing and Program Activities
The LRHW system provides the Army a strategic
According to a 2023 Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
attack weapon system to defeat Anti-Access/Area
Study, “U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives,”
Denial (A2/AD) capabilities, suppress adversary
“Extensive flight testing is necessary to shield hypersonic
long-range fires, and engage other high payoff/time
missiles’ sensitive electronics, to understand how various
critical targets. The Army is working closely with
materials perform, and predict aerodynamics at sustained
temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit.”
the Navy in the development of the LRHW. LRHW
The Army
is comprised of the Common Hypersonic Glide
originally planned for three flight tests of the LRHW before
the first battery fielding in FY2023. On October 21, 2021,
Body (C-HGB), and the Navy 34.5-inch booster.
the booster rocket carrying the C-HGB vehicle reportedly
LRHW Components
failed a test flight, resulting in what defense officials
characterized as a “no test” as the C-HGB had no chance to
Missile
deploy. Reportedly, a June 2022 test of the entire LRHW
missile also resulted in failure.
The missile component of the LRHW is reportedly being
developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Flight Test Delays
When the hypersonic glide body is attached, it is referred to
In October 2022, it was reported the Department of Defense
as the Navy-Army All Up Round plus Canister (AUR+C).
(DOD) delayed a scheduled LRHW test in order to “assess
The missile component serves as the common two-stage
the root cause of the June [2022] failure.” Reportedly, the
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle
delayed test would be rescheduled to the first quarter of
Notes: RDT&E = Research, Development, Test & Evaluation; $M =
FY2023.
U.S. dollars in mil ions.
March 2023 LRHW Test Scrubbed
According to the Army’s FY2025 Budget Highlights, the
funds requested in Army’s FY2025 budget request are
On March 10, 2023, it was reported
intended to
On March 5, DOD was preparing to execute Joint
Flight Campaign-2 featuring the Army version of
Deliver an experimental prototype LRHW with
the prototype weapon launched at Cape Canaveral
residual combat capability in 2024 at the Battery
Space Force Station, FL, when the countdown was
Level as part of the Long-range Fires Battalion in
halted.... As a result of pre-flight checks during that
support of Multi-Domain Operations. Continues the
event, the test did not occur.
development of the LRHW Common Hypersonic
Glide Body (CHGB) and provide incremental
Cancelled September 2023 LRHW Test and
funding for the All Up Round plus Canister
Program Delay
(AUR+C) and CHGBs for basic load and reload
On September 6, 2023, it was reported
AUR+C and test/training/ certification AUR+Cs.
FY 2025 procures the third LRHW Battery’s
The DOD planned to conduct a flight test at the
Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and the basic
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, to
load of eight All-Up Round + Canister (AUR+C).
inform hypersonic technology development. As a
result of pre-flight checks, the test did not occur.
Considerations for Congress
On September 14, 2023, in an Army statement to
Possible oversight considerations for Congress could
Bloomberg News, the Army reportedly acknowledged it
include the following.
would not be able to meet its goal of deploying the LRHW
by the end of FY2023.
LRHW Testing, Costs, and Fielding Plans
The Army’s November 2023 decision to revise its LRHW
Change in LRHW Testing Pathway
testing methodology seemingly suggests past testing
In late November 2023, Navy and Army acquisition
difficulties might have been more significant than
executives reportedly decided to “revamp efforts to prepare
previously believed. It was also noted that even if this dual-
for [LRHW] flight test following three flight test attempts
path subcomponent testing regime proves successful, it
this year that were scrubbed because of problems with the
could be a number of months before the LRHW becomes
Lockheed Martin-produced launcher.” The Army’s new
operational. Based on this new approach, potential
testing approach will feature subcomponent testing. The
considerations for Congress could include how many
Army Assistant Secretary for Acquisitions, Logistics, and
successful LRHW flight tests will be required before the
Technology reportedly stated
Army declares the LRHW operational, and how does a
On the launcher side, we’re going to go back and do
potential six-month or greater program delay affect the
Army’s LRHW program costs and fielding plans?
a little more step-by-step risk reduction to make
sure we’ve got this. The missile itself—we might
LRHW Missile Costs
also concurrently do some missile tests that don’t
According to a January 2023 Congressional Budget Office
involve the launcher just to gain confidence in the
study, “U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives,”
missile. So, we can do two things at once here. We
purchasing 300 Intermediate-Range Hypersonic Boost-
can work on the Army’s launcher and perhaps do an
Glide Missiles (similar to the LRHW) was estimated to cost
end-to-end test with the missile with everything but
$41 million per missile (in 2023 dollars). A January 2023
the launcher, to gain confidence in the C-HGB.
Center for Strategic and International Studies report, “The
Because that’s the most important thing that has to
First Battle of the Next War: Wargaming a Chinese
work.
Invasion of Taiwan,” noted when discussing hypersonic
weapons, contends “their high costs limits inventories, so
It was also noted this new testing effort was “definitely
going to be months, not weeks,”
they lack the volume needed to counter the immense
and could possibly run into
numbers of Chinese air and naval platforms.”
next summer.
FY2025 LRHW Budgetary Information
Given concerns about how LRHW missile costs could
influence LRHW inventories, policymakers might decide to
Table 1. FY2025 LRHW Budget Request
further examine LRHW missile costs as well as quantities
Total Request
of LRHW missiles needed to support potential combat
Funding Category
($M)
operations in various theaters of operations.
RDT&E
$538
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
Procurement (Missiles)
$744
IF11991
Source: Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and
Comptrol er), U.S. Army FY2025 Budget Highlights, March 2024, p. 33.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11991 · VERSION 17 · UPDATED