UK to develop hypersonic missiles
 

According to Sky: https://news.sky.com/story/uk-to-dev...eport-13124768

Given that the US AGM-183 is 22ft long and weighs 3000kg, if air-launched how would the UK achieve that? Perhaps by going cap in hand to the US to beg for a few of the B1-Bs at the AMARG?

Why don’t we go capping hand for the missile and the launch platform? A well trodden path and likely to produce a quicker solution and possibly even cheaper than developing our own.

To ensure we don't end up with a skills gap? We need to be able to produce our own independent military industrial complex. Sovereignty is very popular at the moment.

Keeping your defense industrial base warm is a good idea. The peace dividend is long over.

Perhaps Airlander have bid?

Because the UK is not the US and has very different defence needs. Developing a weapon tailored for use by UK (and similar) assets makes sense on a number of levels. Buying a few antique US bombers and a missile that doesn’t seem to work would be foolish.

If only the UK Treasury knew that - they have been taking it as an annual saving ever since the wall came down.

UK was originally part of the Hifire/Scifire program that developed into HACM (hypersonic attack cruise missile) thats being developed operate from super hornets and larger. I UK could easily rejoin this program under AUKUS pillar 2 if they chose to. But look to be choosing to go their own way. UK has every right to blow their money on their projects

I dont think getting an existing missile putting on more boosters and airlaunching from a typhoon is all that difficult for the UK to pull off. It would be a hypersonic missile in the same way Kinzhal is.