The US Army’s Black Eagle hypersonic missile has only blazed earlier years of delays with a deafening launch, indicating a bold new wave in the country’s fight for long-range accuracy firepower against China and Russia.
This month, The War Zone reported that the US Army properly test-fired its Black Eagle fast missile from a trailer-based app at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. After years of delays brought on by launcher issues, the test represents a major milestone.
The test, conducted by the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO ) and the US Navy Strategic Systems Programs, involved the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon ( LRHW), also known as the common All Up Round ( AUR) missile.
The statement notes that the weapon, which the US Navy plans to deploy on Zumwalt-class ships and Block V Virginia-class boats, achieved rapid frequencies exceeding Mach 5.
The War Zone says that various aircraft, including NASA’s WB-57F and the Missile Defense Agency’s ( MDA ) HALO jets, observed the test, demonstrating the missile’s capability to reach target distances at hypersonic speeds.
Additionally, the report mentions that US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro both stressed the importance of the test in furthering the US government’s fast features.
According to the report, this powerful launch signals progress toward developing the Black Eagle system, with the first fully functional LRHW battery anticipated by fiscal year 2025. It further explains that the development of hypersonic arms is essential for maintaining US defense superiority, especially in potential problems in the Pacific.
As the US Army shifts from lengthy combat operations in the Middle East to battling China in the Pacific and Russia in Europe, it must face the daunting process of reinventing itself in response to the near-peer challenges. Capabilities providing long-range precision fires ( LRPF), such as LRHW, are critical to this transformation.
The US Army’s push for LRPF capabilities, notably hypersonic weapons, is driven by the need to counter adversaries like China and Russia, who have developed advanced anti-access/area-denial ( A2/AD ) systems. These features make it possible to launch conflict cuts that are beyond the capabilities of these techniques.
According to Asia Times, the US is building a missile walls across the Pacific to counteract China’s military expansion, with an emphasis on LRPF from land-based weapon devices like the Typhon.
Capable of launching Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles with ranges from 500 to 1, 800 kilometers, the Typhon bridges a gap between the shorter-range Precision Strike Missile ( 482 kilometers ) and the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (2, 776 kilometers ).
The program seeks to establish a system of missile launch locations in the First Island Chain, encompassing Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to strengthen counter-A2/AD features vis-à-vis China.
But, the plan faces major barriers, especially alliance opposition to hosting US weapon systems. While Japan appears most willing, different countries, including the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea, are wary of possible social backlash and economic retaliation from China.
Despite these challenges, the US has begun stationing Typhon missiles in the Philippines, albeit under the pretext of training exercises, to prevent triggering local escalations. This strategy shifts to a circular, flexible force deployment strategy rather than a fixed base deployment.
The initiative, according to critics, could lead to a missile-armed conflict with China, whose impressive weapon army, including the DF-26″ Guam Killer,” highlights the growing intensity of the US-China geopolitical rivalry.
Apart from building a Pacific weapon walls, Asia Times mentioned this month that the US Navy is transforming the USS Zumwalt, a US$ 4 billion guided-missile warship, into a fast weapons software to counter China’s growing maritime skills.
In order to replace its inactive gun system, the ship is being retrofitted with missile tubes, which will enable it to launch hypersonic glide vehicles ( HGV ) at seven to eight times the speed of sound.
This development work, part of the US Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike ( CPS) program developed with the US Army, aims to enhance the Zumwalt’s operational power by allowing quickly, efficiency cuts from greater distance.
The program reflects the urgent want to tackle rising risks from China’s Model 055 cruisers and Russia’s military nuclear-armed vessels. Despite Zumwalt’s sophisticated systems, including electric propulsion and cunning design, the group has faced criticism for its higher costs and potential risks.
By 2027 or 2028, the US Navy intends to examine the fast program aboard the Zumwalt. The action is a part of a wider plan to keep the navy safe despite disruptions and overcash costs in other initiatives.
However, a US Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) report this month mentions several critical challenges for the US in developing, producing, testing and deploying hypersonic weapons.
Technological difficulty, according to the report, poses a substantial challenge because fast systems require cutting-edge components that can endure extreme temperatures and pressures. Production bottlenecks are caused by manufacturing these innovative materials at a scale.
According to the CRS record, additional difficulties are presented by the precision needed for transforming guidance, navigation, and control systems with aerodynamic shaping.
Also, it mentions that screening constraints have hindered development. Fast flight tests are expensive, logistically complex, and limited by the presence of particular exam ranges and facilities. This bottleneck slows down development and allows for iterative design.
Further, the CRS report says these weapons must be integrated into existing military infrastructure, requiring storage, handling, and launch system modifications. It makes note of the fact that deployment timelines have been further hampered by delays in these areas.
Additionally, the report mentions that slow decision-making has been exacerbated by bureaucratic and budgetary constraints, which have contributed to the technical and logistical difficulties. Collectively, these factors create a protracted timeline for the operational deployment of US hypersonic capabilities.
In a July 2024 article for National Defense Magazine, Josh Luckenbaugh mentions that China has invested heavily in developing and testing these systems over the past 20 years as a leader in the development of hypersonic weapons.
Luckenbaugh highlights China’s extensive research and development infrastructure, including numerous wind tunnels dedicated to hypersonic systems. He contrasts this by pointing out that since the Cold War, US facilities and expertise have declined, with the majority of testing capabilities now being held by academic institutions.
Although Luckenbaugh mentions efforts are being made to rehabilitate this expertise through collaborations between academia and the US Department of Defense ( DOD ), the US has so far not deployed a single hypersonic weapon.