Australia and US to take on China and Russia in game-changing hypersonic missiles

Australian defence minister says the weapons are meant to help deter aggression against Australian interests

Other countries in the region including India, Japan and South Korea might follow suit, analyst says

Reading Time:3 minutes

China has conducted a number of successful tests of the DF-17, a medium-range ballistic missile specifically designed to launch hypersonic glide vehicles, according to a US report. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:37pm, 1 Dec 2020Updated: 11:04pm, 1 Dec 2020

Australia will jointly develop hypersonic cruise missiles with the United States in a bid to counter joint development of the highly destructive, game-changing technology by China and Russia.

Military analysts said the move was a response to the perceived threat from China’s hypersonic weapons development but would have little impact on deterring Beijing’s pursuit of the technology.

Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds announced the hypersonic partnership on Tuesday, saying Australia was investing to give the Australian Defence Force “more options to deter aggression against Australia’s interests”.

“We acknowledged the unique role of our defence partnership to maintain our competitive edge, and affirmed the value of bilateral collaboration on hypersonics,” Reynolds said, signing a collaborative agreement to develop the missile prototypes.

“Investing in capabilities that deter actions against Australia also benefits our region, our allies and our security partners … We remain committed to peace and stability in the region, and an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Hypersonic missiles travel at several times the speed of sound – much faster than conventional weapons – and give target countries little time to respond.