UK Achieves Key Milestone in Hypersonic Missile Development

Successful engine tests with US collaboration mark progress toward deploying a hypersonic cruise missile by 2030.

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the successful testing of a hypersonic missile engine conducted over six weeks at NASA Langley Research Centre in Virginia.
The engine demonstrated air-breathing propulsion technology, allowing greater range and speed compared to conventional rockets.
The tests, conducted in partnership with the US Air Force Research Laboratory, involved 233 static test runs and covered the full Mach range from supersonic to hypersonic speeds.
This milestone is part of the UK's Team Hypersonics program, aiming to deploy a domestically-produced hypersonic cruise missile by 2030.
The effort emphasizes the UK's commitment to defense innovation and aligns with the AUKUS partnership to accelerate advanced weapons development.