In a major move, the US is reportedly planning to deploy the long-range hypersonic missile, Dark Eagle, to the Middle East as it continues to amass military power in the region, despite the ceasefire talks.
The request was made by the US Central Command, citing that the Iranian regime has moved its launchers out of the range of US precision strike missiles, which can only hit targets that are over 300 miles away, according to a Bloomberg report.
This is also the first time that the US is planning to use the $15 million Long-Range Hypersonic Dark Eagle missile against Iran for the first time. The Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, has a reported range of 1,725 miles.
The Dark Eagle, on the other hand, has a range of about 2700km and can reach speeds of up to Mach 5. If approved, the deployment would mark the first time the US has used a hypersonic missile which has not been declared fully operational yet.
Defence analysts claim that though the missile claims to have a range of 2,775 km, it can reach over 3,500 km. “I can range mainland China from Guam,” Lt. Gen. Francisco Lozano, director of Hypersonic, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition, told Hegseth, providing the range figure at the same time.
It employs a hypersonic glide vehicle, which is launched by a two-stage booster to an apogee. When the Common Hypersonic Glide Body is released, it glides back towards earth at hypersonic speeds (at least 6,115 km/h). t is designed for “long range conventional precision strike capability” against “time-sensitive and heavily defended targets,” according to the Library of Congress.
The Dark Eagle usually targets air defences, command posts, and potentially ships. While these weapons are considered a counter to China. Russia and China have already deployed these weapons.
Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump will receive a briefing on Thursday from the leader of the U.S. Central Command, Brad Cooper, on new plans for potential military action against Iran, according to an Axios report.
The report cited unidentified sources. The White House and the U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported, citing sources.