On September 12th, the website of the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that among several US military weapons to be deployed in Germany in 2026, the hypersonic missile called the "Dark Eagle" has the longest range. US military expert Andrew Fickett wrote in a report to the Congressional Research Service that the range of the Dark Eagle is approximately 2800 kilometers. Two experts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Timothy Wright and Douglas Barry, even believe that the range of this American weapon exceeds 3000 kilometers. This means that launching such missiles from Germany can strike Russian inland targets, including Moscow. US President Biden and German Chancellor Scholz decided to deploy US long-range weapons in Germany during the NATO Washington Summit in July as a "deterrence and defense" measure. If the decision remains unchanged, it means that for the first time since the 1980s, US land-based intermediate range weapons will be deployed in Germany. In addition to the 'Dark Eagle', the planned deployment also includes the 'Tomahawk' cruise missile. According to reports, the "Dark Eagle" can fly to an altitude of about 400 kilometers after launch and charge towards its target at 5 times the speed of sound. In contrast, cruise missiles have slower flight speeds and lower altitudes: for example, the "Tomahawk" has a top speed of about 900 kilometers per hour and a minimum flight altitude of about 30 meters. Experts estimate its range to be between 1500 and 1600 kilometers, but it is said that there are already models with a range of 2500 kilometers. Although the agreement reached between the United States and Germany only vaguely states that in addition to the "Tomahawk" and "Standard" -6 missiles planned to be deployed in Germany, there are also "hypersonic weapons currently under development", experts such as Ulrich Kuhn, director of arms control research at the University of Hamburg in Germany, are convinced that the hypersonic weapon mentioned in the agreement is the "Dark Eagle". Marcus Schiller, a missile expert at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, said: "We know from different sources that the US military in Wiesbaden is likely to be equipped with a 'Dark Hawk'." He said that the US military can launch a surprise attack with a 'Dark Hawk' because the American hypersonic weapon can fly at a height that cannot be hit by various missile defense systems. This missile expert believes that the US military is unlikely to launch the "Dark Eagle", "Tomahawk" or "Standard" -6 from its missile base in Wiesbaden during wartime. Instead, it will deploy the missile to other parts of Germany before launch, making it difficult for the enemy to detect its location. (New Society)