The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia will work together to develop hypersonic weapons, expanding the tripartite security pact designed to help Washington and its allies oppose China’s rapid military expansion.
In a statement to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden said the Allies would step up cooperation in several areas, including hypersonic weapons, as part of their commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific region.” .
“We also pledged today to launch new tripartite cooperation in the field of hypersonic and anti-hypersonic and e-war capabilities, as well as to expand information exchange and deepen cooperation in the field of defense innovation,” the three leaders said in a statement. which was released after the Financial Times first reported on the pact.
“These initiatives will contribute to our ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and additional underwater capabilities,” they added.
The pressure to co-operate in the development of hypersonic weapons marks the latest effort to increase the partnership between the three countries to counter China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, the United States signed a pact with the United States and the United Kingdom to help Australia get nuclear submarines.
The agreement came as the Pentagon stepped up its hypersonic weapons efforts after acknowledging that China had advanced in technology. China has conducted several hundred tests of missiles that fly at more than five times the speed of sound. That’s a lot more than the U.S. military, which did less than a dozen tests.
The FT previously reported that last year China launched a hypersonic weapon around the Earth, which was launched into space by a rocket. The weapon – known as a hypersonic sliding vehicle – fired a projectile as it flew over the South China Sea. Pentagon military scientists have been amazed that China has overcome some of the limitations of the laws of physics that make it difficult to launch a rocket from a weapon moving at such a speed.
In a recent interview with the FT, Admiral John Aquilino, head of the Indo-Pacific Command, and General James Dickinson, head of the Space Command, said the United States and Australia are stepping up cooperation in space and cyberspace, partly due to growing concerns about China.
“The ability to identify, track and protect against these hypersonic devices is really key,” Aquilino told Alice Springs ahead of a two-day meeting with Australian security and intelligence officials at Pine Gap, a secret satellite intelligence facility operated by the CIA and Australia.
Hypersonic missiles are a problem for the United States because they can maneuver in flight at very high speeds, unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a certain trajectory, making them easier to intercept.
The system China tested last year made it possible to send hypersonic weapons over the South Pole, creating another problem for US missile defense, which is designed for missile threats coming from the North Pole.
In a recent interview, Dickinson said his top priority was to improve “space awareness” – which means the ability to detect and track missile threats – and that the United States and its partners need to invest more in their efforts.
A British official said that the United Kingdom, which does not have hypersonic weapons systems, would pool its scientific resources with the United States and Australia, which have a joint program to develop technology for hypersonic cruise missiles.
London will then decide whether to develop its own hypersonic program or focus on anti-hypersonic systems.
“Hypersonic missiles are difficult to target, travel very fast and can overcome area failure capabilities,” said another UK official, referring to missile defense systems. “We need to think best about how to use this technology and protect ourselves.”
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Mike Gallagher, a Republican congressman and leading Chinese hawk in Congress, said Aukus enlargement was a “mass development” but that Washington still had to find a solution to implement Aukus elements that were hampered by US export control restrictions. known as the International Arms Trafficking Rules, or Itar.
“Aucus. . . in fact, it does not give Australia any freedom or flexibility to Itar’s requirements, “Gallagher said. “One thing that may be necessary is to make an exception for Aukus. . . I [have to] we believe it is possible to do this without compromising our own security or putting American producers at a disadvantage. “
The announcement of Aukus’ expansion comes a day after Australia announced it would spend $ 3.5 billion ($ 2.7 billion) to accelerate the upgrade of its existing missile capacity ahead of a planned precision missile production move in the country.
“There is potential for conflict in our region within a few years. We need to be realistic about this threat, “Peter Dutton, Australia’s defense minister, told 9 News on Monday.
Australia has named US suppliers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as strategic partners in a long-term plan to build a production facility for advanced weapons capabilities in Australia.
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