Photos Show US Launching Dark Eagle Hypersonic Missile
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The United States conducted a test launch of the U.S. Army's hypersonic missile, also known as the Dark Eagle, in Florida on Friday, capable of traveling over five times the speed of sound.
Newsweek has reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Russia and China have fielded their hypersonic weapons, including the Russian Oreshnik missile that was launched against Ukraine last November, as well as the Chinese DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile that can strike Japan where the U.S. has deployed its forces.
This type of so-called "game-changer" armament is capable of evading most of the air and missile defense systems by maneuvering within the atmosphere at hypersonic speed. The U.S. is currently developing hypersonic missiles and the countermeasures against them.
What To Know
According to photos shared on X, formerly Twitter, by @JerryPikePhoto, the U.S. Army executed a test launch of the Dark Eagle missile, also known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday. A missile was seen launching from the ground.
Liftoff of the LRHW Dark Eagle this morning 🚀 https://t.co/lCJhUXxT84 pic.twitter.com/YJXXuSxmJK — Jerry Pike (@JerryPikePhoto) April 25, 2025
Shortly after liftoff, the vehicle split into two distinct sections, with one appearing to tumble away, and the other continuing to propel itself forward until it disappeared into the sky pic.twitter.com/Fa75Zdenr1 — Jerry Pike (@JerryPikePhoto) April 25, 2025
The Office of the Secretary of Defense confirmed the test event to Orlando Sentinel, adding that the results are being evaluated. This marked the first test of the Dark Eagle missile since its successful flight test held in December last year, the report added.
The Dark Eagle is a ground-launched missile attached with a maneuverable hypersonic glide body as its warhead, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in its report on Thursday. The missile has a reported range of 1,725 miles with a top speed of over 3,800 miles per hour.
According to the report, each Dark Eagle missile unit will consist of four launchers armed with a total of eight missiles. Due to what the report called "integration challenges," the first complete unit is now expected to be fielded in fiscal year 2025, two years behind schedule.
Fiscal year 2025 began on October 1, 2024, and ends on September 30, 2025, meaning the U.S. Army has five months left to put the missile into service, according to the new schedule.
The latest test comes after the U.S. Army announced on Thursday that "Dark Eagle" is the popular name for the LRHW. The word "dark" reflects the weapon's ability to "disintegrate adversary capabilities," while "eagle" is a tribute to the master hunter, the U.S. Army said.
The LRHW, which is the combination of velocity, accuracy, maneuverability, survivability, and versatility, matches the eagle's characteristics—speed, stealth, and agility. Meanwhile, America's national bird, the bald eagle, represents independence, strength, and freedom.
In this photo provided by the United States DOD on December 12, 2024, a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system fires a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
In this photo provided by the United States DOD on December 12, 2024, a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system fires a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
U.S. Department of Defense
What People Are Saying
Patrick Mason, U.S. senior official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, said on Thursday: "Hypersonic weapons will complicate adversaries' decision calculus, strengthening deterrence ... Their speed, accuracy and versatility are befitting its new popular name, Dark Eagle."
The Congressional Research Service reported: "The LRHW system provides the Army a strategic attack weapon system to defeat Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities, suppress adversary long-range fires, and engage other high payoff/time critical targets."
What Happens Next?
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. Army will conduct additional tests of the Dark Eagle missile before declaring it operational. The Army has previously expressed interest in operating its Multi-Domain Task Force, which hosts the Dark Eagle missile, out of Japan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Trump says he will start talks with China on TikTok deal
President Donald Trump late Friday said that the United States 'pretty much has a deal' for an American company to acquire the U.S. branch of TikTok, adding that he intended to restart talks next week with China to approve the deal. 'We're going to start Monday or Tuesday talking to China,' Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One on Friday night as it headed to Bedminster, New Jersey. 'We think we probably have to get it approved by China. Not definitely, but probably.' He added, 'I think the deal is good for China, and it's good for us. It's money, it's a lot of money.' Trump did not say who the potential buyer was. The president said earlier in the week that he had found a buyer for the U.S. branch of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video app that faces a ban adopted by Congress over national security concerns. A 2024 law required that the app effectively be banned in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold it to a non-Chinese company. Congress was concerned that sensitive user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. It was not clear if the deal would comply with some of the requirements Congress adopted for a sale of TikTok, particularly if ByteDance chose not to share the app's algorithm with the U.S. buyers. Private equity firms have been hesitant to invest in a deal without some form of indemnification. Trump has declined to enforce the law banning the app, which was passed by large bipartisan majorities and unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court. Shortly after being sworn in, Trump issued an executive order directing the Justice Department to suspend enforcement of the TikTok ban and has since repeatedly extended it. Attorney General Pam Bondi has told tech companies that Trump has the constitutional power to effectively set aside laws. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why AppLovin Stock Slumped in June
Outside development put the hurt on the specialty tech company's shares. One, a highly critical report published by a short-seller, was especially hurtful. 10 stocks we like better than AppLovin › Last month, AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) was punished by investors more for what it didn't do than for what it actually did. A hoped-for graduation to a top stock index was one of the non-occurrences, while a short-seller felt compelled to write a scathing report on the company. In some respects, AppLovin was fortunate that its stock didn't decline more deeply than the sub-11% dip it experienced across June. The index let-down, such as it was, occurred near the top of the month. Every quarter, S&P Dow Jones Indices, the operator of the closely followed S&P 500 index (among many others), likes to "rebalance" the index, replacing component stocks deemed no longer suitable with new ones. Several days ahead of the current rebalancing, speculation grew about which companies would land on the hallowed index. AppLovin was mentioned as one of those candidates, at least by a team of analysts at heavyweight lender Bank of America. The leading prospect, in their take, was online securities brokerage Robinhood Markets, but it also mentioned six other prospects. Among these was AppLovin. Alas, S&P Dow Jones Indices performed what felt like a head fake, electing not to change the composition of the S&P 500 index at all this time. The market can usually shrug off a non-event like this, disappointing as it may be initially. It's tougher to ignore a highly critical and detailed analysis of a stock, such as the ones typically published by institutional short-sellers. Unfortunately for AppLovin, that's exactly what happened when such a firm trained its sights on the company. In mid-June, the firm, Culper Research, unveiled a rather sprawling 30-page screed criticizing AppLovin's business practices. Many of its accusations pertained to AppLovin's goal of acquiring the non-Chinese operations of controversial social media video app TikTok, a service that has fallen afoul of the U.S. government. In the report, Culper intimated that a significant AppLovin shareholder, Hao Tang, is an individual with a shady past and "extensive direct and indirect ties" to certain dark corners of the Chinese government. It decried this "covert Chinese ownership," and warned of the danger posed to U.S. national security. AppLovin hasn't made any official statement on the Culper Research allegations. Perhaps, management feels they'll blow over with investors before long. Personally, I'd view that as a mistake since troubling allegations like the ones the short-seller raises have a way of lingering and, in turn, negatively affecting investor morale. We'll see whether the company can deliver news encouraging enough to dislodge the numerous accusations from the collective investor memory. Before you buy stock in AppLovin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AppLovin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $699,558!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $976,677!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppLovin and Bank of America. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why AppLovin Stock Slumped in June was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Ukraine, Denmark ink landmark deal to produce weapons on Danish soil: ‘This is paramount both in terms of security and investment'
Kyiv struck a landmark deal with Denmark Friday that paves the way for Ukrainian companies to jointly produce weapons on Danish soil. It marks the first time Kyiv will open military production facilities overseas as it looks to fend off escalating Russian aggression in its war with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Denmark is investing $5 million in the venture, aimed at supporting Ukrainian defense startups, Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin wrote on Facebook following the signing ceremony in Copenhagen. Herman Smetanin (left) and Danish Minister for Industry Morten Bodskov (right) signed the deal Friday. Herman Smetanin / Facebook Increasing its weapons manufacturer in allied countries helps Ukraine strengthen its defense capabilities and build stronger supply chains, after having relied heavily on foreign military aid in its more than-three-year war with Moscow. The historic deal also comes after the US halted weapon shipments to Ukraine on Tuesday over concerns with its own dwindling stockpile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal 'important decision.' 'Our first agreement on weapons production for Ukraine in Europe. Coproduction between Ukraine and Denmark. This is paramount both in terms of security and investment,' he wrote on X. The deal comes amid renewed Russian aerial offensives aimed at capturing more Ukrainian land, leaving Kyiv's short-handed defenses under severe strain — Moscow's missiles and drones battered Ukrainian cities this week. The Denmark deal is part of a broader focus by Kyiv to internationalize its arms production. Zelensky reached another major deal earlier this week that pairs Ukraine with a private US drone company, just as the Pentagon halted weapon shipments to Ukraine on Tuesday over concerns with its own dwindling stockpile. The deal allows Ukrainian defense companies to open production facilities in Denmark. Herman Smetanin / Facebook Under the terms, Swift Beat — founded by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt — would supply hundreds of thousands of drones to Ukraine in 2025 at cost, with plans to ramp up production in 2026, Zelensky announced. 'We are scaling up joint arms production with our partners: long-range weapons to reduce Russia's appetite for killing, and interceptor drones to protect our people,' he added on X. Zelensky in a Friday phone call with President Trump also discussed defense production and investments. Trump characterized the conversation as 'good' and Zelensky agreed to work on increasing Ukraine's capability to 'defend the sky.'
