US, UK, Australia Vow To Cooperate On Hypersonic Weapons
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 06, 2022 | 11:10 AM
London, April 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Apr, 2022 ) :The United States, Britain and Australia said Tuesday they would begin collaborating on hypersonic missile strike and defence capacity, as rivals Russia and China advance rapidly in the cutting-edge technology.
The trio said they would work on hypersonics in an expansion of their recent AUKUS defence alliance, which is to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to counter China's growing military clout.
They pledged "new trilateral cooperation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities" in a statement by US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Hypersonic missiles can travel more than five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in mid-flight, making them much harder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles.
They may carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
Hypersonics and related technologies were now "very much a part of what the AUKUS partnership is striving to deliver", Australia's Morrison told reporters on Wednesday.
But there were few details about what the leaders' hypersonic plan entailed.
Marcus Hellyer, defence analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said it was hard to judge "what is actually new" in the statement.
Australia and the United States were already working together on hypersonics, he said, although the new commitment may open up new areas of cooperation with Britain.
Australia announced in December 2020 it would work with the United States on developing hypersonic weapons in a so-called SCIFIRE programme.
And Canberra committed in its 2020 defence strategy programme to invest Aus$6.2 billion-9.3 billion (US$4.7 billion-7.0 billion) in high-speed, long-range strike and missile defence, including hypersonics.
- Russia ahead - On the same day as the latest AUKUS announcement, the US military said it had recently completed a free-flight test of an aircraft-launched hypersonic missile that maintained a speed of more than Mach 5.
But rival powers are making rapid advances.
Russia is the most advanced nation in hypersonics while China is also aggressively developing the technology, according to the US Congressional Research Service.
Last month, Moscow claimed it had twice fired its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to hit targets in Ukraine.
Russia has also claimed a series of successful tests including firing a Zircon hypersonic missile from a submerged submarine.
China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that circled the Earth last year, according to media reports confirmed by the Pentagon's top general. China said it was "a routine spacecraft test".
North Korea claimed to have carried out two hypersonic missile tests in January.
The United States, Britain and Australia launched AUKUS last September, vowing to provide Australia with the technology to build a nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarine fleet, giving it greater stealth and reach in the Pacific region.
As a result, Canberra scrapped a multibillion-dollar submarine deal with France, infuriating Paris.
The three leaders said Tuesday they were "pleased" with progress on the Australian submarine programme.
jj-djw/mmc/leg
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Punjab Livestock Card and Farmers' Guidance App; check details here
Stronger ties between LCCI and AJK chamber stressed
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi meets UN chief
Pakistan High Commissioner secures Pakistan Fan Zone Tickets for the AUSvPAK in ..
Bushra Bibi approaches IHC against conviction in Nikah case
Acting Punjab governor signs Defamation Bill 2024
ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Afghanistan beat New Zealand by 84 runs
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 8 June 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 08 June 2024
UNO, Climate Change Ministry, AKF join forces for climate action, environmental ..
DC chairs meeting regarding arrangements on Eid-ul-Adha
UNDP GLOF-II Project observed World Environment Day in Gilgit
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Historical traditional Jashan-e-Kaag festival begins in Kaag village Haripur
1 day ago -
Playwright, fiction writer Anwar Sajjad remembered
2 days ago -
Well-known personalities paid tribute to Talat Hussain in wonderful words
6 days ago -
Death anniversaries of Rafi Khawar, Mujeeb Alam, Tahira Naqvi observed
6 days ago -
Somia Khan’s new song “Jeetinge Jeetinge World Cup” creates sensation
6 days ago -
Mujeeb Alam's death anniversary observed
6 days ago
-
Real estate – Paying price of an economic gimmickry
6 days ago -
Strong moral framework promotes responsibility, accountability
6 days ago -
Kuwaja Moinuddin’s birthday to be celebrated today
8 days ago -
New volcanic eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula: weather office
9 days ago -
Famous actor Adeeb remembered
13 days ago -
Talat Hussain performed on Rangeela’s voice in film ‘Insan Aur Aadmi’
13 days ago