The U.S. Army and Navy have completed a successful end-to-end flight test of a hypersonic missile system. The test, conducted on December 12 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, showcased the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB), a joint Army-Navy initiative designed to enhance the United States’ precision strike capabilities.
The Army’s version of the system, known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) or Dark Eagle, will be deployed on mobile land-based platforms, while the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) will integrate into surface ships and submarines. This successful test is part of an effort to deliver highly maneuverable hypersonic weapons that can travel at speeds greater than Mach 5—five times the speed of sound—while striking heavily defended and time-sensitive targets.
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The United States successfully fired a hypersonic missile from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida last Thursday.
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“This test builds on several previous flight tests and demonstrates that we can put this capability in the hands of the warfighter,” said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro added, “Integrating this system ensures we remain the world’s preeminent fighting force.”
The flight test, which utilized a Battery Operations Center and a Transporter Erector Launcher, gathered crucial data to support the Army’s first operational deployment and the Navy’s future fielding of sea-based variants. Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, Director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, emphasized the test’s success as evidence of the strong Army-Navy partnership, saying, “We are developing a transformational hypersonic weapon system that will deliver unmatched capability.”
The Pentagon has prioritized hypersonic weapons to counter emerging threats, particularly in contested environments where traditional strike capabilities are less effective. The U.S. Army’s LRHW has an estimated range of 2,253 kilometers, while the Navy’s CPS is slated for deployment on Zumwalt-class destroyers by 2025 and Virginia-class submarines by 2028.
This test comes as hypersonic missile systems gain strategic significance globally, with U.S. advancements often compared to Russia’s Oreshnik missile, a nuclear-capable weapon recently used in Ukraine. Pentagon officials have warned of the growing hypersonic arms race, highlighting the need for responsive and survivable precision strike capabilities to maintain the U.S. military’s technological edge.
Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, Director of Hypersonics, Directed Energy, and Space for the Army’s RCCTO, stressed that the joint Army-Navy effort allows for faster development timelines and cost efficiencies, ensuring that the U.S. remains ahead of adversaries. The successful test brings the Pentagon one step closer to operationalizing hypersonic weapons that will significantly enhance the nation’s deterrence and warfighting capabilities.
