Missile · Land
Dark Eagle (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon)
U.S. Army trailer-launched hypersonic boost-glide missile system.
- Milestones2
- Operators1
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Perla Alfaro · Public domain (PD-USGov) · Full source frame retained; resized without upscaling and encoded as WebP.
Ground-launched hypersonic boost-glide weapon that uses the common hypersonic glide body, with Lockheed Martin as prime integrator for the U.S. Army; the Navy is adapting the same missile for sea launch.
Timeline2
- First deliveryConfirmed
First prototype battery ground equipment delivered
Ground equipment for the first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon battery, delivered to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
- MilestoneConfirmed
Joint Army-Navy common hypersonic missile flight test
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Operators1
- USUnited States
Cost to the Government
Weapon systems · Lockheed Martin / U.S. Army
Dark Eagle / Long Range Hypersonic Weapon
Army missile-line estimates distinguish the all-up-round and canister from separately funded government-furnished glide bodies, launchers and support.
AUR + canister · excluding GFE glide body
$39.039M
FY2027 · PB2027 request · Nominal USD; source budget basis
P-5 recurring AUR and canister line. Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies are government-furnished equipment funded separately. This is not the complete missile or battery cost.
U.S. Army ↗U.S. inventory
Not verified
A current U.S. inventory was not established. Annual procurement, cumulative deliveries and production capacity are not a stockpile count.
Army requested missile quantity
2
FY2027 discretionary request · U.S. only; stated source scope
Procurement quantity, not delivered missiles, launchers or operational inventory.
U.S. Army ↗Annual RDT&E funding
$446.616M / yr
FY2027 total request · PB2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
R-1 PE0605232A Hypersonics EMD. Annual appropriation scope, not lifetime development cost. FY2026 includes the listed reconciliation spend plan; FY2027 includes discretionary and mandatory requests where present. Budget execution and requests are distinct measures.
Department of Defense Comptroller ↗Cost & funding breakdown
Gross Army procurement request
$301.777M
FY2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
Includes two missiles and separately funded equipment, support and other work.
U.S. Army ↗Government-furnished glide bodies · line total
$71.872M
FY2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
Separate GFE line; not a per-round price and not included in the headline AUR + canister figure.
U.S. Army ↗Ground support equipment · line total
$75.62M
FY2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
Software, training, refurbishment, spares and support scope; not a new battery price.
U.S. Army ↗The published missile line excludes a major component
The Army lists common glide bodies as separate government-furnished equipment. Adding the entire GFE or ground-equipment line to a two-round denominator would allocate broader program work as though it were recurring missile hardware.
Operations & sustainment
Annual operations & support
Not verified
A complete, system-specific annual operating and support cost was not established. Procurement, replacement rounds and contract support are different measures.
Cost over time · 6 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 · PB2027 | AUR + canister · excluding GFE glide body P-5 recurring AUR and canister line. Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies are government-furnished equipment funded separately. This is not the complete missile or battery cost. | $34.784M | Nominal USD; source budget basis | U.S. Army ↗ |
| FY2026 · PB2027 | AUR + canister · excluding GFE glide body P-5 recurring AUR and canister line. Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies are government-furnished equipment funded separately. This is not the complete missile or battery cost. | $36.79M | Nominal USD; source budget basis | U.S. Army ↗ |
| FY2027 · PB2027 request | AUR + canister · excluding GFE glide body P-5 recurring AUR and canister line. Common Hypersonic Glide Bodies are government-furnished equipment funded separately. This is not the complete missile or battery cost. | $39.039M | Nominal USD; source budget basis | U.S. Army ↗ |
| FY2025 actual · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605232A Hypersonics EMD. Annual appropriation scope, not lifetime development cost. FY2026 includes the listed reconciliation spend plan; FY2027 includes discretionary and mandatory requests where present. Budget execution and requests are distinct measures. | $452.628M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 total enacted / spend plan · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605232A Hypersonics EMD. Annual appropriation scope, not lifetime development cost. FY2026 includes the listed reconciliation spend plan; FY2027 includes discretionary and mandatory requests where present. Budget execution and requests are distinct measures. | $520.931M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2027 total request · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605232A Hypersonics EMD. Annual appropriation scope, not lifetime development cost. FY2026 includes the listed reconciliation spend plan; FY2027 includes discretionary and mandatory requests where present. Budget execution and requests are distinct measures. | $446.616M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 0 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
No primary-source contract record verified in this review. This does not mean there are no contracts.
Connected missiles & systems
Shared hypersonic development
Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS)
Army and Navy programs share missile technology; service integration and funding remain distinct.
Congressional Research Service ↗U.S. Army ↗
International buyers
United States · 2 · Army budget request · FY2027
Requested missile procurement, not inventory or completed deliveries.
U.S. Army ↗
Coverage & open research
- Current operational missile inventory and complete annual support costs were not established.
- The recurring missile line excludes government-furnished glide bodies; a complete comparable unit price remains unresolved.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.