Pentagon Office Oversees Test of New Hypersonic Missile, Seeks Additional Data

Hypersonic Missile Testing Delays: US Struggles to Catch Up with China and Russia

Key Findings:

• The Pentagon's testing office has concluded that the US Army's Dark Eagle hypersonic missile will not be evaluated for its combat effectiveness until early 2027, due to insufficient data from tests conducted so far.
• The testing office's annual report, scheduled for publication in the coming days, highlights concerns over the missile's operational effectiveness, suitability, and survivability, as well as its ability to withstand cyber-attacks.
• The $10.4 billion program, led by prime contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. and a unit of Leidos Holdings Inc., has faced repeated delays and testing issues.

Program Background:

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• The Dark Eagle hypersonic missile was initially forecast to be ready in September 2023, but the Army has now pushed back the fielding date to an unspecified time.
• China and Russia have already deployed hypersonic missiles, which are capable of flying faster than five times the speed of sound and are more difficult to intercept than slower missiles.
• Russia has reportedly used hypersonic missiles as part of its invasion in Ukraine.

Delays and Issues:

• The Army has repeatedly failed to demonstrate the Dark Eagle system's success in real-world testing, citing launcher, launch sequence, and missile production quality issues.
• The Government Accountability Office has also highlighted testing issues in 2023 and 2024.

Army Response:

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• The Army has released a statement saying that it cannot comment on the report before it is finalized and publicly released.
• Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has written a letter commenting on the report's findings, but did not address the hypersonic program specifically.