AUKUS countries sign agreement on joint testing of hypersonic weapons

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement to cooperate in testing hypersonic technologies within the AUKUS alliance.

This is stated in a statement by the Pentagon, distributed on Monday, November 18, the Voice of America reports.

The initiative involves sharing technical expertise and test equipment to support offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies. The agreement calls for up to six trilateral flight-test campaigns through 2028, with a combined funding of $252 million.

“We are enhancing our collective ability to develop and deliver offensive and defensive technologies through a series of rigorous trilateral tests and experiments,” said Deputy Secretary of Defense Heidi Shu.

The project also aims to advance technologies such as high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, and guidance and control mechanisms.

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The project brings together existing efforts from each country into a coordinated international program that leverages the resources and expertise of the three countries. According to Shu, the cooperation is aimed at enhancing the combat capabilities of hypersonic systems and contributes to the broader comprehensive deterrence goals of AUKUS.

The push for hypersonic weapons has become global, with Russia and China also known to be working on technologies in this area. India recently successfully tested its own long-range hypersonic missile, joining a small group of countries with advanced technology, Reuters reported.

The Indian government noted that the missile, developed by the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization, is designed to deliver a warhead over a range of more than 1,500 kilometers. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh called the test a “historic achievement.”

Prepared by: Sergey Daga