The Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal has awarded a $2.7 billion contract to support the Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, the U.S. Army said Monday.
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What Does the Dark Eagle Contract Cover?
The award, issued March 31, supports the development, testing and production of Dark Eagle, a surface-to-surface long-range strategic fires system designed to launch common hypersonic all-up round missiles. Unlike traditional procurement approaches, the contract integrates research, development and production into a single vehicle, reflecting a joint Army and Navy effort.
How Was the Acquisition Executed?
A six-member ACC-RSA team composed of contracting and pricing professionals managed the award process under tight timelines, evolving requirements and complex negotiations to meet an accelerated fiscal year 2026 schedule.
Contracting officer Paul Daugherty noted that the accelerated pace required the team to develop alternative approaches for proposal reviews and contractor counterproposals while upholding acquisition standards. This synchronized effort involved program executive offices, contracting centers and various industry partners.
How Did the Team Address Cost & Pricing Challenges?
Eric Blystone, pricing branch chief, noted that limited historical cost data required close coordination with the Defense Contract Management Agency and Defense Contract Audit Agency. The contract marked the first production award for the common hypersonic glide body program and transitions from an other transaction agreement to a Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15 contract structure.
Vince Dickens, branch chief of STRIKE and Counter-UAS, added that the contract structure allows optimized pricing across base and option years, supporting both Army and Navy requirements while maximizing taxpayer resources.
