US, UK test hypersonic missile engine that travels thousands of miles per hour
UK and US engineers have completed several hundred tests over a six week period of a new hypersonic missile engine.
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) reports that it has reached a significant milestone in developing its new hypersonic engine design. Developed in conjunction with the United States, the new missile engine forms part of its larger plans to build a working hypersonic cruise missile by 2030 under its MOD’s Team Hypersonics (UK) programme.
To date, the UK and the US have collaborated closely to develop hypersonic missiles. The US brings its more advanced facilities and experience to the table, while the UK offers the partnership its tried and tested innovation and industrial base.
This tag team should dramatically improve development speed while sharing the cost and further strengthening the two nations’ long-standing military alliance capabilities.
According to the MOD, the new missile should be able to reach speeds of over Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, or roughly 3,800 mph (6,100 kph). According to a MOD press release, 233 test runs were carried out at several hypersonic speeds, marking a critical step forward in UK Defence capabilities.
Major UK hypersonic milestone
Once developed, the missile will provide what the MOD calls a “transformational capability that delivers operational advantage for the future UK armed forces.”
“We are living in a more dangerous world, and it has never been more important for us to innovate and stay ahead of our adversaries, equipping our forces with the technologies of the future,” explained the UK’s Defence Secretary, John Healey.