Today, the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia signed a new agreement under the AUKUS trilateral security pact, allowing the three nations to utilize each other’s hypersonic weapons testing facilities and share technical information necessary for the development and manufacturing of hypersonic technology.
The agreement, known as the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, aims to conduct “up to six” trilateral test flight campaigns by 2028, supported by a funding pool of $252 million, according to a statement from the U.S. Defense Department.
“We are increasing our collective ability to develop and deliver offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies through a robust series of trilateral tests and experiments that will accelerate the development of hypersonic concepts and critical enabling technologies,” stated Heidi Shyu, the senior civilian at the Pentagon overseeing research and engineering.
“Collaborative efforts are accelerating the development of underpinning enabling technologies, such as high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, and guidance and control. Each of these technologies is integral to the performance of hypersonic weapon systems and provides enhanced operational capability,” she added.
All branches of the American military have heavily invested in developing hypersonic weapons in recent years. The Army and Navy have designed a common glide body, while the Air Force has initiated and subsequently closed several air-launched weapons programs.
“This landmark arrangement with our U.S. and Australian partners demonstrates the commitment of AUKUS partners to staying at the forefront of battle-winning defense technology,” remarked John Healey, the UK’s defense secretary. “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.”
Additionally, the British statement highlighted that the “Hypersonic Technologies and Capabilities Development Framework” was established to source industry support and includes over 90 suppliers, with a commercial headroom of up to 1 billion British pounds (approximately 1.27 billion USD).
