AUKUS Nations to Test ‘Offensive and Defensive’ Hypersonic Technologies
The US Department of Defense has signed an agreement with Australia and the UK to collaborate on “offensive and defensive” hypersonic technologies.
The partnership aims to accelerate the development, testing, and evaluation of cutting-edge hypersonic vehicles and technologies, including long-range missiles capable of traveling considerably faster than the speed of sound.
Known as the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation Project (HyFliTE), the program involves conducting up to six joint flight test campaigns by 2028. The collaboration also focuses on sharing resources, knowledge, and expertise among the three nations.
The initiative operates under a total funding pool of $252 million.
“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,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
The project includes accelerating the development of crucial technologies such as high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, and guidance and control mechanisms.
“Each of these technologies is integral to the performance of hypersonic weapon systems and provide enhanced operational capability,” explained Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
AUKUS Partners
Launched in 2021, the trilateral security partnership between Canberra, London, and Washington supports joint testing and exercise initiatives under two main programs.
The first program focuses on equipping the Royal Australian Navy with nuclear-powered submarines.
The second aims to strengthen operational integration and interoperability, emphasizing advancements in cyber defense, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and undersea systems.
Latest Tests
Earlier this year, AUKUS partners conducted several tests to enhance their systems’ interoperability.
Last month, Australia, the UK, and the US remotely operated unmanned vessels across a distance of over 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometers), controlling ships in Australian waters from a command station in Portugal.
In August, the three partners announced the successful tests of AI-enabled unmanned aerial vehicles capable of intercepting, disabling, and destroying enemy assets with precision.
