This move, which could lead to conflicts elsewhere in the world, is similar to that in Ukraine. China warned
According to a British statement, Australia, UK and US will increase their cooperation through the AUKUS trilateral accord to incorporate hypersonic technologies.
China was quick to condemn the announcement, with Beijing’s UN envoy Zhang Jun warning that it could “lead the other parts of the world into a crisis”Similar to the one in Ukraine.
Referring to the Western rejection of Russia’s military operation, Zhang had some advice for the US and its allies, quoting an old Chinese saying: “If you do not like it, do not impose it against the others.”
Leaders from Australia, Britain, and the USA have evaluated the AUKUS progress so far. They concluded that it was satisfactory. “pleased”The UK government agreed with this statement.
It didn’t reveal any specific details, only stressing that Britain and America were “fully committed to establishing a robust approach to sharing naval propulsion technology with Australia that strengthens the global non-proliferation regime.”
But it turns out that the partnership won’t be limited to submarines only, as AUKUS members “committed today to commence new trilateral cooperation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics… and to deepen cooperation on defense innovation,”According to the statement.
It will also add to an already established bilateral hypersonic programme between Australia and America called SCIFiRE, the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment.
Australian deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce claimed that China’s hypersonic developments created an “existential threat”Australia insists that “we have to make sure that we are right at the top of our game.”
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also welcomed the expansion of AUKUS cooperation but couldn’t say when exactly Canberra would be getting its hypersonic missiles. They’d arrive “as soon as is practical,”He said.
The AUKUS pact, which is largely seen as a strategy to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific, was announced by Canberra, London and Washington in September last year with the aim of arming Australia with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Beijing criticized the agreement, saying it would hinder peace in the region.
Russia and China have been outstripped by the US and NATO Allies in hypersonic weapons. They are considered to be far beyond any air defense system’s reach due to their speed and extreme maneuverability.
Washington has been testing these technologies only, and the most recent launch of Hypersonic A-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), is rumored to be taking place in mid-March.
Russia’s air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic rockets have been used to attack targets in its ongoing military operations in Ukraine. The US President Joe Biden responded to this news, saying that hypersonic technology was a necessity. “doesn’t make… much of a difference except it’s nearly impossible to intercept.”
Kinzhal is only one of the many hypersonic system developed by the Russian military over recent years. The other two are the Avangard glider which can be fitted to silo-based ICBMs as well as Zircon missiles (Tsirkon), developed for Navy.
The Americans were also concerned by the Chinese hypersonic test in July 2021, with the head of the US Strategic Command, Admiral Charles Richard, saying in a testimony to Congress earlier this week that Beijing’s missile had traveled some 40,000 kilometers in just over 100 minutes, which became “the greatest distance and longest flight time of any land attack weapon system of any nation to date.”
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