The U.S. military is considering a high-stakes move in the Middle East, as reports on Thursday indicate a request to deploy a long-range hypersonic missile that can hit deep within Iran.
The proposal is made amid a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8, while tensions remain high and diplomatic negotiations are making little progress.
The deployment was requested by the U.S. Central Command to close an expanding operational gap, according to Bloomberg. According to reports, Iranian ballistic missile launchers have been moved beyond the current Precision Strike Missile’s range, which is more than 300 miles.
“The Request for Forces submission justifies the move by saying Iran has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike Missile, a weapon that can hit targets at more than 300 miles, a person with direct knowledge of the request said,” the report noted. The request has not been made public, and no final decision has been taken.
If approved, the deployment would mark the first time the US uses a hypersonic weapon in an operational setting. That step would signal a change in how the military plans to counter hardened and time-sensitive targets in the region.
The weapon in question is the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, also referred to as Dark Eagle. The weapon is designed for pinpoint attacks on well-protected targets and can move faster than five times the speed of sound.
The range of the missile is estimated to be around 1,725 miles, and as such, it can attack targets that lie far away from the reach of existing missiles. Moreover, the missile uses a gliding approach to reach its target.
Despite these capabilities, the weapon is behind schedule. It hasn’t even been declared ready for use, despite initial plans to make it operational by 2022. This setback has been noted particularly because Russia and China are already using similar systems.
The missiles are expected to cost about $15 million each, with fewer than 10 available. The entire system costs around $2.7 billion, which clearly demonstrates the amount of money that goes into developing hypersonic missiles.
The potential deployment comes as the U.S. continues to apply economic and military pressure on Iran. President Donald Trump also reinforced his stance on the 16-day blockade of Iran’s oil exports on Wednesday.
“The blockade is genius, okay? The blockade has been 100 percent foolproof,” he told reporters. The president rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for easing restrictions, insisting that larger concerns must be addressed first.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it’s going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They want to settle. They don’t want me to keep the blockade. I don’t want to (lift it), because I don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”
As military preparations continue and diplomacy advances, the situation is still unstable. Although hostilities have decreased as a result of the ceasefire, both sides seem to be preparing for escalation in the event that the negotiations fail.
Trump signaled that any agreement would depend on Iran abandoning nuclear ambitions entirely. “The question is whether or not they are gonna go far enough. At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will never be nuclear weapons,” he added.
For the time being, the proposal for a hypersonic missile shows how the United States is looking into new ways to keep its strategic reach. It’s uncertain if the Dark Eagle system will be deployed, but its consideration indicates that there is growing urgency to confront changing dangers throughout the region.
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A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies.
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