U.S new (LRHW) long range hypersonic weapon details

The United States is scheduled to deploy a hypersonic weapon unit by the end of September, the Army said, as the Pentagon races to close the gap in this field with its major adversaries.

The Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) is scheduled to deploy its first operational battery by the end of fiscal year 2025, the Army said in a written response to defence affairs magazine.

Each LRHW battery consists of four launchers equipped with a total of eight hypersonic missiles—which have a reported range of 1,725 miles—alongside a Battery Operations Center (BOC) and a support vehicle, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

A hypersonic weapon can travel at Mach 5 or faster—over five times the speed of sound. Both of the U.S.'s major rivals—Russia and China—as well as regional adversaries such as North Korea and Iran say they have developed and deployed this new class of weapon.

In July, the U.S. Army deployed the LRHW outside the continental U.S. for the first time, with two missile launchers participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in Australia.

The U.S. is also enhancing its defense against the hypersonic threat, including upgrades to missile defense radar systems, as this type of weapon can maneuver during flight—unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable trajectory—making it difficult to intercept.

"As of mid‑2025, testing continues, with the Master Test Strategy projecting activity through fiscal year 2026," the U.S. Army told Newsweek regarding the status of the LRHW, also known as Dark Eagle. Fiscal year 2026 runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.

According to the Congressional Research Service report, the LRHW was originally planned to field its first battery in fiscal year 2023. However, the program faced testing delays and cancellations, which ultimately prevented the Army from meeting its deployment goal.

The Army also confirmed to Newsweek that it deployed the LRHW to Australia temporarily. The weapon system was assigned to the Hawaii-based Third Multi-Domain Task Force.