US toying with idea of firing Dark Eagle, $41 million hypersonic missile, on Iran, but should it?

The world is once again holding its breath as tensions between the United States and Iran are reaching a dangerous point. President Donald Trump is running out of time in his standoff with Tehran, and there is now serious talk that America might use one of its most secret and powerful weapons for the very first time, the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile.

If this happens, it will mark a big moment in modern warfare, because no country has ever seen the United States use this weapon in real combat before.

The reason is simple. The United States Central Command, which looks after American military operations in West Asia, has officially asked for permission to bring the Dark Eagle missile to the region.

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According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US had to shift its missile launch systems further away to keep them safe from enemy attacks. But by moving them away, their normal missiles can no longer reach important targets inside Iran.

On top of that, America is also running short of its precision strike missiles. So they need something bigger, faster, and longer in range. That is where Dark Eagle comes into the picture.

Website Axios has reported that the US military is preparing a "short and powerful" set of strikes on Iran, most likely aimed at very important buildings and bases.

Talks between Washington and Tehran are stuck, and Iran is refusing to come to the table unless America removes its blockade in the Persian Gulf. Trump, on his side, is not willing to back down.

What is the Dark Eagle missile all about?

In simple words, Dark Eagle is the US Army's most advanced long-range hypersonic missile. The word hypersonic means it can travel at five times the speed of sound.

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To understand this, imagine a missile that is faster than any sound you can ever hear, so fast that by the time you realise it is coming, it has already hit the target. It can also fly very high in the upper atmosphere and even change its direction in the middle of its flight to confuse and dodge any air defence system.

The missile is believed to have a range of more than 1,725 miles, which is around 2,776 kilometres. That means it can be fired from a very safe distance and still hit deep inside enemy territory. The exact details of its full power are kept secret by the US government.

Built by Lockheed Martin, this missile was created mainly to match the strong air defence systems of China and Russia.

Shocking price tag of 41 million dollars

Now here comes the most surprising part of the entire story. According to a source quoted by Bloomberg, each Dark Eagle missile costs around 15 million dollars at the basic level. But when all the extra costs of development, technology, and support systems are added, each missile actually comes to around 47 million dollars.

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Just imagine, one single missile costing 47 million dollars, which in Indian rupees is nearly 381 crore rupees for just one shot. One full battery, which contains a maximum of eight missiles, costs about 2.7 billion dollars in total.

This is why many defence experts are openly questioning whether it makes any sense to use such a costly weapon against Iran.

Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior expert at Defense Priorities, said that the Pentagon has "lost all sense of balance." She pointed out that Iran is not a direct threat to America's existence, and asked a very sharp question, is there really any target inside Iran that is worth spending 47 million dollars on a single missile?

For that kind of money, America could build schools, hospitals, or even fund space missions, but instead it may be fired in just a few seconds at one target.

Comparing with rival missiles

Dark Eagle is America's answer to two famous rival weapons. Russia's Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, which has been used in combat since 2019, has a range of about 1,200 miles.

China's DF-17 missile can strike up to 1,500 miles. Dark Eagle, with its 1,725-mile range, is meant to beat both of them. However, the project is already running behind schedule.

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Trump is also under time pressure. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the President must pull back forces within 60 days unless Congress approves the war.

After the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Trump informed Congress on March 2, starting a 60-day clock ending on May 1. However, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told the Senate that the clock pauses during a ceasefire, which has been in place since April 7.

Whether Dark Eagle will actually be used remains unknown, but the very thought of it shows how serious the situation has become.