According to the U.S. "National Security Journal" on August 19, the U.S. Army has deployed the "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missile system for the first time to the Northern Territory of Australia as part of the multinational joint military exercise "Talisman Sabre 2025."

This move is ostensibly a part of the exercise content, but everyone understands what's really going on, which is to build a forward hypersonic strike platform for the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific region and to make prior preparations for potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.

Different from previous times, the "Dark Eagle" system deployed this time did not quickly withdraw after the exercise ended. Neither the U.S. military high-ups nor the Australian side have made clear statements about its withdrawal plan, indicating that it is very likely to become a phased permanent or semi-permanent deployment.

This means that this deployment is an important part of the U.S. military's planned and rhythmic advancement of the high-end conventional strike chain against China, aiming to cut off China's command and communication, early warning systems, and deep deployment capabilities at the first moment when war breaks out.

"Dark Eagle"

"Dark Eagle" is one of the most important long-range strike weapon systems of the U.S. Army in recent years, with the full name of Long Range Hypersonic Weapon.

The missile can glide in the air and perform maneuverable orbit changes, flying at a speed exceeding 5 Maches, with a range of 2,775 kilometers. The entire system is deployed on mobile launch vehicles, possessing the capability to quickly evacuate after firing, increasing the difficulty for the enemy to intercept.

Currently, the Dark Eagle is deployed in the Darwin area of Australia. Although this location cannot directly cover the mainland of Taiwan, it can strike multiple important cities and military bases in southern China, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanning, Haikou, Sanya, Shantou, and Xiamen, as well as airports, radar stations, and communication nodes on the South China Sea islands.

At the same time, the system can also cover the entire South China Sea airspace, posing a substantial threat to the PLA fleet and air force bases.

Different from previous U.S. military reliance on air and sea platforms to deliver strike power, the "Dark Eagle" is deployed on land to the front line, combining deployments in Guam, the Philippines, and Ryukyu, forming a diagonal pressure posture towards southern China.

Deployment of "Dark Eagle" in Australia

Of course, China will not sit idly by.

From a tactical perspective, China can respond through multiple ways:

First, enhance the space-based infrared and radar joint early warning system to detect and intercept high-speed targets early;

Second, strengthen the camouflage, hardening, and decentralization of key military targets, such as mobile communication vehicles, underground airports, and combined real and fake missile silos, making it difficult for the opponent to destroy the target even if they have coordinates;

Third, China is developing and deploying anti-hypersonic air defense systems, such as the new generation of surface-to-air missiles like the HQ-27, supplemented by non-kinetic means such as lasers and electromagnetic interference for multi-dimensional disruption.

In addition, on the offensive side, China is fully capable of using medium-range missiles like the DF-17 and DF-26 to conduct "decapitation" strikes on the "Dark Eagle" system, and through drones to track the trajectory of its launch vehicles continuously, achieving immediate destruction during wartime.

Flag of Australia and Flag of China

If one day the situation in the Taiwan Strait gets out of control, China has sufficient strategic and moral grounds to destroy the "Dark Eagle" system deployed in Australia first.

Under the context of war, this deployment is no longer just an exercise, but a direct threat to the Chinese mainland's depth.

The United States placing the "Dark Eagle" in Australia is to bypass the First Island Chain and attack China's command system, aircraft carrier ports, and strategic nodes from the south. This behavior unquestionably constitutes a significant provocation to China's national security.

Secondly, by signing the "Force Posture Agreement" with the U.S., Australia allows the U.S. military to deploy offensive weapons on its territory, effectively putting itself into the U.S. military strategic strike system, losing its neutral status.

Therefore, as long as the "Dark Eagle" enters combat readiness, or even maintains wartime communication connectivity, China has the justification to take the initiative to implement de-functionalized strikes, rendering it incapable of combat.

Ultimately, once war begins, the unscrupulous Australia must pay the strategic cost, and China has the right to use missiles to make it understand that if you act as an agent to take the lead, you must bear the cost of being knocked down.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540513848042865178/

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