AUKUS partners are cranking up the hypersonic arms race with a bold new pact, pooling resources, testing and cutting-edge technologies in a bid to outpace rivals like China.
This month, Breaking Defense reported that the US, UK and Australia have signed a new agreement under the AUKUS trilateral security pact to enhance their hypersonic weapons capabilities.
The report says the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, announced this August, will facilitate using each other’s hypersonic weapons testing facilities and sharing technical information necessary for developing and manufacturing the technologies.
The agreement includes up to six trilateral test flight campaigns by 2028, supported by a US$252 million funding pool. The Breaking Defense report states that Heidi Shyu, the US Department of Defense’s (DOD) senior civilian overseeing research and engineering, emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in accelerating the development of critical enabling technologies such as high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, and guidance and control.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey highlighted AUKUS partners’ commitment to maintaining a technological edge over adversaries, enhancing collective security and contributing to global peace and stability.
The UK statement also noted the involvement of over 90 suppliers through the Hypersonic Technologies and Capabilities Development Framework, with a commercial headroom of up to $1.27 billion.
The landmark arrangement underscores the strategic importance of hypersonic weapons in modern defense, aiming to keep the AUKUS partners at the forefront of military technology advancements.
Integrating hypersonic weapons into existing military units enhances battlefield effectiveness through rapid, precise strikes and improved operational tempo but requires overcoming infrastructure, logistics and interoperability challenges.
In August 2024, UK Defense Journal reported that the UK aims to operationalize a hypersonic missile by 2030. UK Defense Journal mentions that Minister of State for Defense Lord Coaker highlighted the UK’s leadership in hypersonic technology through the AUKUS Pillar 2 Advanced Capability Partnership.
The report mentions that the UK Ministry of Defense’s Team Hypersonics is spearheading the effort via the $1.26 billion Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework involving 90 suppliers.
It notes that the missile, expected to exceed Mach 5, is designed to evade modern air defenses and that testing of critical technologies, including a new propulsion system, is underway, with deployment options for land, fighter jets, or warships still being considered.
Asia Times reported in June 2024 that Australia is set to test-launch the US Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) from its Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornets over the Woomera Test Range.
This collaboration, part of the US-Australia HACM program, aims to enhance both nations’ air-launched hypersonic capabilities. The missile, developed by Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, features a two-stage design and is expected to exceed Mach 5.
The tests, driven by limitations in US testing infrastructure, reflect the deepening defense partnership under the AUKUS agreement. Australia’s Defense Strategic Review 2023 underscores the importance of long-range strike capabilities for its anti-access/area denial strategy.
The AUKUS agreement facilitates collaboration in the testing and developing hypersonic technologies by combining resources and expertise. The agreement aims to accelerate research and innovation, enhance operational readiness and effectively counter emerging threats from rivals like China and Russia.
Mikayla Easley mentions in a February 2023 National Defense Magazine article that the AUKUS agreement facilitates joint testing and development, leveraging Australia’s advanced hypersonic research infrastructure, such as the Woomera Range Complex, and the UK’s expertise in aircraft and propulsion.
She notes that AUKUS facilitates innovation and readiness in research and development, allowing for the rapid implementation of advanced technologies essential for keeping a competitive advantage against rivals like China.
As for China’s progress in hypersonic weapons, Asia Times reported this month that China’s new GDF-600 hypersonic weapon, unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow by the Guangdong Aerodynamic Research Academy, represents a significant advancement in hypersonic technology.
Capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 7 and ranges between 200 and 600 kilometers, the GDF-600 can carry various submunitions, including supersonic missiles, drones, and loitering munitions.
This versatility allows it to conduct kinetic strikes, electronic warfare (EW), and reconnaissance across multiple targets. Integrating EW weapons, such as non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) devices, enhances its ability to disrupt enemy communications and radar systems.
However, AUKUS faces strategic uncertainty as the US transition to a second inward-looking Trump administration, which could impact its progress on collaborative high-tech projects such as hypersonic weapons and nuclear submarines.
In a Washington Post article this month, Michael Miller predicts that US President-elect Trump’s return could disrupt the alliance. Miller points out Trump’s unpredictable approach to alliances, noting possibilities such as scrapping AUKUS while pushing for US strategic autarky or demanding increased defense spending from Australia.
Furthermore, Gideon Rachman says in a February 2024 Financial Times article that Australia is overly reliant on US dominance and potentially vulnerable as Trump returns to power. Rachman also points out the weakness of the UK defense industrial base, which he says places it in the same boat as Australia.
Nevertheless, Peter Dean mentions in a June 2024 article for the Lowy Institute think tank that AUKUS will likely endure regardless of changed priorities under a second Trump administration.
Dean emphasizes bipartisan support for AUKUS in the US Congress, which controls funding and has historically countered Trump’s isolationist tendencies. He says that AUKUS is deeply integrated into the US defense bureaucracy, making it difficult to dismantle.
He points out that unlike the NATO alliance, AUKUS is a technology partnership focused on nuclear submarines, quantum computing, AI, and cyber capabilities. He says AUKUS thus aligns with Trump’s preference for allies to contribute more financially.
Dean mentions that while Trump’s foreign policy is unpredictable, the strategic importance of AUKUS in countering China will likely ensure its continuation, emphasizing enduring US interests.
A day late and a dollar short. China already has air, land, sea, and drone-launched systems in its arsenal.
This article did not age well. A few days later, Russia fielded Mr Oreshnik, an unstoppable new type of intermediate hypersonic ballistic MIRV. And there is nothing NATO has that can stop it. Maybe Trump needs to have a hard think about withdrawing from the INF treaty in 2019. Too late now. The mush brained pseudo intellectual simians in NATO will have to accept the inevitable: the world today is no longer an Anglo Saxon stomping ground.
Just like the 6 wk SMO, most Russian weapons have a 50% chance of success vrs blowing up in Russian face.
Time to fry up the Capon for Thanksgiving.
“US, UK, Australia partnership racing to catch China via joint hypersonic testing, billion-dollar funding and cutting-edge new tech”
India has just announced that it has successfully tested a hypersonic missile. All that the US, UK and Australia have to do is to join India and they will have hypersonic missile technology on a platter.
So by 2030, the US and its bandwagon of poodles might have first generation hypersonic technology. By then, one can only wonder how far ahead Russia, China, India, Iran and Ansar Allah will be.
They’ll be failed states before they can challenge the USA.
They will be shooting you from the Moon.