By Sarah Nelson, U.S. Army Contracting Command

Speed defines the Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon, Dark Eagle. But long before the system moves at hypersonic velocity, precision behind the scenes makes that speed possible. 
 
U.S. Army Contracting Command Redstone Arsenal awarded a $2.7 billion production contract March 31, supporting Dark Eagle, marking a major milestone achieved ahead of an accelerated fiscal year 2026 fielding timeline. 
 
Getting there was anything but routine. 

At the command, a six-person team of contracting and pricing professionals played a central role in navigating a compressed schedule, evolving requirements and complex negotiations to support one of the Army’s top modernization priorities. 
 
“This acquisition was different from a typical contract because it was a joint effort between the Army and Navy, and [it] combined both research and development and production under a single effort,” said Paul Daugherty, command contracting officer. “The accelerated timeline compressed proposal reviews, revisions and contractor counterproposals, requiring the team to develop alternative approaches quickly while maintaining acquisition standards.”  

Dark Eagle represents a significant leap in capability in a complex War Department effort requiring close coordination across development, testing and production. 
 
To meet an aggressive goal of awarding the contract by the end of the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, the command adjusted its approach by engaging with partners early and working through challenges as they emerged. 

The milestone reflects a synchronized effort across contracting centers, program executive offices and industry partners, with ACC-Redstone Arsenal at the center of executing the acquisition strategy. 
 
“This effort marked a significant milestone as the first production contract for the common hypersonic glide body program, transitioning from an [other transaction authority] to a [federal acquisition regulation] part 15 contract,” said Eric Blystone, command pricing branch chief. “With limited historical cost data available, the team coordinated closely with partners, including [the Defense Contract Management Agency] and [the Defense Contract Audit Agency], to conduct detailed analysis and support a fair and reasonable outcome for the government.” 
 
The effort shows how disciplined execution and early alignment can accelerate complex acquisition programs while maintaining standards. 

“This development and production contract provides the Army and Navy the ability to achieve optimized pricing across base and option years, allowing the government to buy to budget while maximizing every taxpayer dollar,” said Vince Dickens, command branch chief of hypersonic missile and counter-unmanned aerial systems. “The close partnership across contracting, pricing and stakeholders was critical to delivering a successful outcome for the warfighter.”