US tests hypersonic missile; Australia, US, UK agree to cooperate on hypersonic weapons

As part of the new AUKUS alliance, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia will jointly start collaborating on hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities. The decision has been taken after a call between the leaders of the new defence alliance.

In a joint statement, they informed, "We... committed today to commence new trilateral cooperation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as to expand information sharing and to deepen cooperation on defence innovation."

"These initiatives will add to our existing efforts to deepen cooperation on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities," the statement read.

"As our work progresses on these and other critical defense and security capabilities, we will seek opportunities to engage allies and close partners," it added.

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AUKUS leaders have agreed to deepen their partnership across defence, technology and information sharing. We are unwavering in our commitment to an international system based on the rule of law and human rights.

🇬🇧🇺🇸🇦🇺 — UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 5, 2022

Meanwhile,the US military said it tested a newhypersonicmissile. The US said it completed a free-flight test of an aircraft-launchedhypersonicmissile that maintained a speed of more than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.

The three partners of the AUKUS alliance said the joint initiatives will bolster existing efforts to deepen cooperation in numerous areas that they already agreed.

The alliance, formed last September, aimed at countering China, The had also prompted Australia to cancel a crucial contract for a conventional French submarine in favour of a nuclear submarine program supported by the United States and Britain.

The deal hadangered French President Emmanuel Macron and the bilateral ties between France and Australia also appeared to be damaged.

Important to note that Russia, China, the United States and North Korea have all test-launched hypersonic missiles.

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WATCH |AUKUS to work on hypersonic weapons

What are Hypersonic missiles?

Hypersonic missiles, like traditional ballistic missiles which can deliver nuclear weapons, can fly at more than five times the speed of sound.

While ballistic missiles fly high into space in an arc to reach their target, a hypersonic weapon flies on a trajectory low in the atmosphere, potentially reaching a target more quickly.

Crucially, a hypersonic missile is manoeuvrable - like the much slower, often subsonic cruise missile - making it much harder to track and defend against.

#UPDATE The United States, Britain and Australia said they will begin jointly collaborating on hypersonic weapons and "electronic warfare capabilities", as part of their new AUKUS alliance aimed at countering China https://t.co/9945s5OGyg pic.twitter.com/riSWnWgkS8 — AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 5, 2022

US tests hypersonic missile

On Tuesday (April 5), the US military announced a new successful test of a hypersonic missile, which was done apparently in mid-March but was kept in dark due to the ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict. CNN report mentioned that the US remained quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia as President Joe Biden was about to travel to Europe.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said it had recently completed a free-flight test of an aircraft-launched hypersonic missile that maintained a speed of more than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound (at least 3,800 miles per hour, or 6,100 kilometres per hour).

The missile flew to an altitude greater than 19,800 meters and soared over 300 nautical miles, said DARPA, the Pentagon's high-tech research body.

(With inputs from agencies)