US Prioritizing Hypersonic Strike Capabilities

The US is developing three main hypersonic weapons programs: the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), and the Air Force's Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). These systems are designed to operate at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and maneuver mid-flight, making interception difficult. The emphasis is on conventionally armed hypersonic weapons for precise strikes, as opposed to nuclear payloads. The Army's LRHW, also known as Dark Eagle, is designed to strike high-value targets and overcome Anti-Access/Area Denial defenses with a range exceeding 1,725 miles. Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment will be the next unit to field the Dark Eagle, replacing the M142 HIMARS, and will operate as part of the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force in the Indo-Pacific. The Dark Eagle can reach speeds exceeding Mach 5 and has a range between 1,725 and 2,175 miles. The Air Force is shifting its focus to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), aiming for operational deployment by FY2027. HACM is intended for deployment on bombers and fighters, with potential for B-52s to carry 20 or more missiles. In February 2026, the Navy awarded a $49.99 million contract to Castelion for the development of the Blackbeard hypersonic missile, which is scheduled to be flight-tested on an F/A-18 fighter jet. The US is also exploring hypersonic defense systems like the Golden Dome, which seeks to integrate land-, sea-, air-, and space-based sensors and interceptors into a single network. An initial $25 billion has been allocated to Golden Dome in the FY2026 budget for R&D and initial deployment. Integrated systems, like the MQ-4C Triton UAV and F-35 Lightning II aircraft, offer potential for hypersonic missile defense and strike operations in the Indo-Pacific. The Pentagon requested $2.865 billion for hypersonic weapons in 2021, a roughly 14% increase from the $2.508 billion allocated in 2020. For FY2026, the Pentagon is investing $3.9 billion in hypersonic weapons across all services. The Air Force's FY26 budget includes an extra $741 million for air-launched hypersonic weapons. Key contractors include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and Northrop Grumman. However, a GAO report in July 2024 noted that some programs are not fully utilizing modern engineering techniques like digital twins, potentially increasing costs and delaying schedules. The US is aiming to counter the advancements of China and Russia, who have already fielded hypersonic weapons. Japan is also investing heavily in hypersonic weapons to address growing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific. Japan plans to allocate approximately 20% of its $14.3 billion missile procurement budget from 2025 to 2035 towards hypersonic anti-ship and land-attack missiles. This includes the Hyper Velocity Guided Projectile (HVGP) system designed to evade defenses of Chinese aircraft carriers.