The development of hypersonic technology is to be accelerated under a new AUKUS arrangement – bolstering the collective security of the three nations with battle-winning capabilities of the future.
This joint work will enable the faster development, testing, and evaluation of innovative hypersonic vehicles and technologies – representing a new level of collaboration between AUKUS partners.
This arrangement will also provide a wealth of procurement opportunities across a breath of UK suppliers; safeguarding and creating a number of high skilled jobs in the UK and supporting economic growth.
Hypersonic capabilities can include long-range strike missiles capable of travelling considerably faster than the speed of sound, with these advanced systems able to be launched from land, sea, or air.
Collaborating trilaterally will allow AUKUS partners to accelerate the development of cutting-edge, battle-winning capabilities in a way that no one nation could do alone. The UK, US and Australia will be able to take advantage of collective resources, shared testing facilities and pooled technical expertise.
This work is aimed at ensuring each nation has the capabilities needed to defend against rapidly evolving threats, with the three partners signing the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement.
Existing national efforts will be incorporated, including multiple test flights of hypersonic vehicles that can be used in a range of activities.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:
“This landmark arrangement with our US and Australian partners demonstrates the commitment of AUKUS partners to staying at the forefront of battle-winning defence technology.
“By combining our expertise and resources with those of our closest allies, we are accelerating the development of crucial hypersonic capabilities.
“This work will keep us ahead of our adversaries on the battlefield, enhance our collective security and contribute to maintaining peace and stability in an increasingly complex and dangerous world.”
The flight tests planned under HyFliTE will provide robust experimentation to accelerate the development of hypersonic concepts and critical enabling technologies.
The AUKUS defence and security partnership is also facilitating deeper collaboration across the three countries’ industrial bases and breaking down barriers in acquisition systems. This will drive resilience in supply chains – an invaluable step forward in ensuring security.
The Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF), which was used to source industry support, provides an accelerated approach to the market. It includes more than 90 suppliers and has a commercial headroom of up to £1 billion. The supplier’s range is across the AUKUS nations and European allies.