The U.S. has fired a chilling signal in the global arms race with the successful testing of its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile. Capable of traveling at blistering speeds and striking targets thousands of kilometres away in minutes, the weapon is designed to evade even Russia’s most advanced air defence systems. Officials call it a game-changer that relies on pure velocity and kinetic force, not nuclear warheads. As Washington races to deploy Dark Eagle on land and sea, rivals in Moscow and Beijing are being forced to rethink their defences.