Building a UK Hypersonics Capability: The AUKUS Perspective

This whitepaper explores the role of AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) and other bilateral agreements in developing Hypersonic capabilities. Specifically, it looks at the opportunities and challenges arising from the desire to create a UK sovereign Hypersonics capability. It discusses the need for model and disruptive behaviours: deep and meaningful collaboration; a culture and processes for trilateral innovation; the inherent risks and challenges posed by regulation; industrial and supply chain resilience; and the need to grow a new generation of rocket scientists, while also maximising the three nations’ existing engineering workforce for greatest combined effect.