U.S. soldiers brief allied troops about the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system in Australia’s Northern Territory, July 9, 2025. (Perla Alfaro/U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army deployed its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system to Australia’s Northern Territory during the Talisman Sabre exercise, marking the weapon’s first overseas appearance, the service announced over the weekend.
The deployment marks “a significant milestone for the Army, demonstrating our ability to rapidly deploy and operate advanced capabilities in support of our allies and partners,” U.S. Army Pacific posted Sunday on X.
The Army gave no indication that the weapon, with an estimated range of 1,700 miles, was fired in Australia. The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, based in Hawaii, transported the system to Australia, according to an Army news release Saturday. Defense Department photos show soldiers from B Battery (Dark Eagle), 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment briefing allied troops about the weapon on July 9.
“The exercise demonstrates the Combatant Command’s capacity to project power and support the defense of Australia, a key ally in the region,” Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said in the news release.
Dark Eagle’s debut Down Under shows the Army’s ability to rapidly deploy and operate advanced capabilities, Col. Wade Germann, commander of the multidomain task force, said in Saturday’s release.
U.S. soldiers brief allied troops about the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system in Australia’s Northern Territory, July 9, 2025. (Perla Alfaro/U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army is collaborating with Australia’s 10th Brigade in Adelaide, South Australia, to plan the deployment of hypersonic weapons, Lt. Gen. Joel Vowell, deputy commander of U.S. Army Pacific, told Stars and Stripes on July 14 at Shoalwater Bay on Australia’s east coast.
“We are looking at how we can do that together,” he said.
Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.
The 1st Multi-Domain Task Force at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., was the first unit to field and integrate Dark Eagle.
In March 2024, the Air Force test-fired its AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon from a B-52H Stratofortress bomber over the Ronald Reagan test site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
China has pursued an anti-access, area-denial strategy involving missiles designed to target ships and aircraft near Taiwan and in the South China Sea.
“This system changes the game,” Vowell said of hypersonic missiles.
Talisman Sabre, a three-week biennial exercise, concluded Monday. It involved more than 40,000 troops from the United States, Australia and 17 other nations across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The exercise also featured the first live fire from Australia of the U.S. Army’s Typhon mid-range missile system and the debut of Australia’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, which fired a precision strike missile with a range of more than 310 miles.
Australia is prioritizing long-range precision strike capability in response to China’s military modernization, said Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales and lecturer at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
“Australia’s acquisition of [Dark Eagle] would demonstrate Australia’s willingness to lift defense spending,” he said.
Dark Eagle can deliver a large warhead, said Mick Ryan, a former Australian army general who is now senior fellow at the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program.
“It’s a great capability given that it’s ground-launched, and it’s got a pretty low signature,” he told Stars and Stripes by phone from Brisbane on Monday. “You can fire it and head back under cover.”
