GAO flags US Army missile programme delays

US Navy and Army jointly executed joint tests for the hypersonic glide body and the all-up round for their individual hypersonic programmes of record. (US Navy)

Some US Army missile programmes are at risk of programme delays, according to the Government Accountability Office's annual weapons assessment.

The Weapon Systems Annual Assessment report, published on 2 July, found that the army's Stinger replacement, Mid-Range Capability (MRC), and Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) programmes are facing some developmental risks. Fielding long-range missiles capable of striking moving land and maritime targets by 2027 is one of the army's goals as outlined by the Army Transformation Initiative memo released in 2025.

LRHW, also called Dark Eagle, and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) are two of the long-range offensive weapons that are at the forefront of the army's modernisation strategy. PrSM, as a programme with concurrent design and production phases, is at higher risk of delays, according to the GAO report. It had a six-month delay for a full-rate production decision, which the army has now overcome programme officials told the GAO.

“Officials attributed these delays to failures experienced during the first phase of initial operational testing, which they have since overcome,” according to the report. “Programme officials told us that they do not expect similar delays for initial operational capability.”

Comparatively, LRHW has missed several milestones in recent years due to testing delays. It was first scheduled to be fielded by 2024, but that milestone continues to be delayed.

Hypersonic

The first Dark Eagle LRHW battery has been activated, the army told Janes earlier this year. It “continues to progress through fielding, training, and integration”, said Darrell Ames, spokesperson for Program Acquisition Executive (PAE) Fires, Janes on 13 July.