- The U.S. Army and Navy successfully launched a common hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral on March 26 as part of a joint long-range strike program.
- The shared missile, used in the Army’s Dark Eagle and the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike programs, is intended to hit defended high-value targets at speeds above Mach 5.
The United States Army and the United States Navy successfully launched a common hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on March 26, 2026.
The launch was carried out by the Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires in partnership with the Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Strategic Systems Programs, continuing the services’ effort to field the same hypersonic weapon for both land- and sea-based platforms.
The missile shown in the launch image closely resembles the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, a prototype surface-to-surface strategic fires system. In Army service, the weapon combines dedicated launch equipment with eight All-Up-Round missiles, built around a missile package developed jointly with the Navy.
The Army’s ground element includes a Battery Operations Center, a Battery Operations Center Support Vehicle, and four Transporter Erector Launchers. Together, those components form the land-based launch battery for Dark Eagle, giving the Army a mobile platform for long-range conventional strikes.
The missile itself uses the Common Hypersonic Glide Body, paired with a Navy-developed two-stage rocket booster housed inside a canister built for the Army launcher. After launch, the booster accelerates the glide body to hypersonic speed and altitude before separation, allowing it to maneuver toward its target at speeds above Mach 5.
That same missile round is also being fielded by the Navy under its Conventional Prompt Strike program. The Navy is integrating the identical All-Up-Round into launch canisters for Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines, extending the same strike capability to surface ships and submarines.
Using one missile across both services is a central part of the program. Rather than pursuing separate hypersonic weapons for land and sea launch, the Pentagon is building a common round that can be adapted to multiple platforms. That approach is intended to shorten timelines and lower costs while preserving commonality in production and sustainment.
These systems are intended to give commanders a fast-response conventional strike option against hardened or fleeting targets that may be difficult to engage with traditional missiles.
For the Army, Dark Eagle expands its long-range precision fires portfolio well beyond existing missile artillery systems. For the Navy, the same weapon adds prompt conventional strike capability from ships and submarines, broadening the range of launch options available in future operations.