The US Central Command, Centcom, has requested its stockpile of Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles to be moved closer to Iran, it has been reported. Each Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) is estimated to cost $15million (£11million) and is capable of travelling five times the speed of sound to hit targets 1,725 miles away.
If approved, it would mark the first combat deployment of a US hypersonic weapon in history. The long-range weapon – technically still listed as under development and not yet operational – would be able to target Iranian missile launchers, which have recently been moved out of the reach of current US systems. This request comes as Donald Trump faces increasing pressure to break the impasse in negotiations or deliver a decisive blow to end the two-month conflict, which has reportedly cost $25billion (£18.4billion), according to a senior Pentagon official.
The LRHW, also known as the Dark Eagle, is an intermediate-range surface-to-surface boost-glide hypersonic weapon under development for the US Army. The Navy also intends to procure a ship/submarine-launched variant of the missile as part of the service’s Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) program.
Although Dark Eagle’s development has been shrouded in secrecy, the nuclear-capable boost-glide missile is reported to reach altitudes in the upper atmosphere and manoeuvre itself to evade air defences. It has not yet been declared fully operational, and a decision on its early deployment has not been made, Bloomberg reported, citing a source with direct knowledge.
In 2025, the Dark Eagle was deployed to Australia for the Talisman Sabre exercises, marking its first, temporary deployment outside the continental US. Tests have also been conducted from sites including Cape Canaveral in Florida.
This comes as another sign that Washington is preparing further strikes on the Islamic Republic. The Pentagon is said to be drawing up plans to resume major combat operations against Iran to break its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and force it back to the negotiating table.
Mr Trump will receive a briefing today (April 30) from Brad Cooper, the head of Centcom, laying out the options for “short and powerful” strikes on the regime’s infrastructure, sources told Axios.
The US’s most advanced missile, the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), is already deployed against Iran. Yet, its striking capabilities are limited to 300 miles, meaning the Dark Eagle would give the US significantly greater reach inside Iran. However, the latter has suffered years of delays due to the significant technical hurdles of achieving speeds of up to Mach 5, as well as supply-chain constraints and testing failures.
It is therefore possible that Centcom’s request could be an attempt to threaten Tehran and pressure it back to the negotiating table. Officials in Washington are hoping that renewed attacks will force Tehran to be more flexible about dismantling its nuclear programme, which is proving to be a major block to a peace deal. Another strategy US military planners are reportedly considering is deploying troops and seizing part of the Strait of Hormuz to force it open to commercial shipping.
