While the United States is still lagging behind in the hypersonic race with Russia and China, the U.S. Congressional oversight body has highlighted some critical technological gaps in the U.S. Army’s Dark Eagle hypersonic program.

Although the U.S. Army’s first hypersonic weapon is reportedly nearing completion of its final tests, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has suggested that programs to develop hypersonic technology for the Army and other branches of the military could benefit from industry best practices.

While the GAO praised the U.S. Army for incorporating feedback into the development of its long-range hypersonic weapon (LRHW), it warned that the Army could speed up deployment and reduce costs through more digital technology.

In the latest update, reporters were informed by Under Secretary of Defense Gabe Camarillo that LRHW, a joint project with the U.S. Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic program, is slated for deployment, Janes reported. “We look forward to its deployment,” Camarillo said Aug. 8 at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies Institute conference. “It is a critical part of our future operational planning for our multidomain force.”

This development comes weeks after a July 2024 GAO report claimed that digital technology is being underused by the services overall, which could impact schedules and costs. For example, the Army told GAO that it does not plan to use digital twin technologies.

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A GAO report released on July 29, titled “Hypersonic Weapons: The Department of Defense Could Reduce Costs and Schedule by Following Leading Practices,” found that while hypersonic weapons could represent the future of the technology, at least four of the Pentagon’s six current development programs fail to fully utilize modern and advanced engineering methods.

“Years of effort and billions of dollars invested in hypersonic weapon development have resulted in significant progress, but the Department of Defense has not yet fielded its first operational hypersonic weapon system. Yet even the deployment of these prototypes will not ensure an effective or affordable capability,” the GAO said.

The report noted that four of the six programs did not use modern development methods such as digital twins and digital engineering.

A digital twin is a virtual model that replicates the structure, functionality and behavior of a computer system. According to GAO, this virtual model can be updated as new features are added. It added that this and other digital engineering methods save money and time.

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In addition, the report states that the Navy is now using these cutting-edge methods in its conventional surface warfare programs (Prompt Strike and Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive).

The statement said: “Only the Navy’s long-range hypersonic missile program and its conventional instant-strike weapon regularly communicate with their users. Direct and timely engagement with users is essential to determining the most important capabilities to include in the minimum viable product.”

The report does not bode well for the US Army’s long-range hypersonic weapons program, also known as Dark Eagle, which was supposed to be the first hypersonic weapon that Washington would field.

The American Dark Eagle

Although the United States is accelerating its efforts to develop comparable hypersonic capabilities to its rivals Russia and China, it has so far failed to field an operational hypersonic weapon. The LRHW appears to be significantly compromised, with the U.S. Army struggling to field the weapon in a timely manner and suffering from technological deficiencies, the recent GAO report highlights.

An earlier GAO report brought bad news: Delivery of the U.S. Army’s LRHW weapon was delayed. According to a report released June 17 by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Army will not be able to field its first LRHW battery until fiscal year 2025 due to problems with the launcher and launch sequence of the new long-range hypersonic weapon system.

The LRHW is a medium-range rocket launched from a trailer. Its range is expected to be more than 2,700 kilometers. The device is expected to reach a remarkably high speed of Mach 17, or 5.8 kilometers per second, which is considered “hypersonic.”

“Large reach #Hypersonic weapon #LRHW Officials said the next end-to-end flight test will not take place until the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. After the successful completion of the flight test, the first production rocket will be delivered within 6 weeks and the first battery of 8 rockets will be delivered within 11 months” ~ GAO pic.twitter.com/WnXMoEZIsW

— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) 17 June 2024

The regulator noted that even with a successful launch, problems could arise, suggesting there could be further delays. Agency officials told GAO that there could be further program delays due to concerns about the rocket’s performance during flight testing.

The gaps in the program are notable because the U.S. Army’s hypersonic program has been plagued by controversy and delays for some time. In September 2023, the Army acknowledged that it would not meet its original goal of having the first battery operational by the end of fiscal year 2023.

Since 2021, LRHW tests have suffered several failures, some of which have been attributed to rocket malfunctions. According to GAO, two tests in 2023 have been canceled due to issues with the launch vehicle and launch sequence.

Although China and Russia have several hypersonic weapons, technological obstacles prevent the United States from achieving its goal of having hypersonic weapons.

The US Air Force (USAF) had to officially discontinue the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) program after a series of unsuccessful tests. The USAF has placed great emphasis on the development of the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), but the weapon is still a long way from being operational.

Nevertheless, the LRHW has become the flagship of the US hypersonic program. In June, a U.S. Army unit stationed in the Indo-Pacific region and trained to combat anti-access area denial networks launched its first hypersonic missiles during a Navy-hosted exercise..

On June 25 and 27, the unit’s Long-Range Fires Battalion’s Bravo Battery demonstrated its ability to integrate and enhance the kill chain using the Dark Eagle or Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon.

In addition, the U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $756 million contract to improve the capabilities of the LRHW, the country’s ground-based hypersonic weapon system.

The US needs to solve the technological problems and quickly field a weapon, especially given the growing threat from enemies (including governmental and non-governmental entities). The slow development of hypersonic weapons is a growing concern, especially given the significant advances made by rival nations.