The military deal – ratified by Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison – is a new element in the Aukus Pact, which was originally announced last autumn for the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra. A statement from all three leaders announced a further extension of the agreement, described as a “new tripartite cooperation on supersonic and anti-ultrasonic weapons”, part of a growing militarization following the Russian invasion. China has tested its own version of weapons, and Aukus leaders want to show that they have a united front against Beijing and Moscow. “Our ability to determine their use and to address their use will be an important part of maintaining stability around the world,” said a British official. The United States quietly tested its own supersonic missile last month, although it kept secret details for a fortnight for fear of competing with Russia, and is already working with Australia. The deal means Britain is now committed for the first time. Stephen Lovegrove, the UK’s national security adviser, said the latest announcement demonstrates the growth of Aukus. “In the light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is more important now than ever for allies to work together to defend democracy, international law and freedom around the world.” Ultrasonic missiles – whether nuclear or not – travel at least five times the speed of sound, faster than conventional cruise missiles. They are designed to be flexible, allowing them, in theory, to avoid conventional missile defenses. However, it is unclear whether they have any genuine military utility, and critics say their development contributes to a deeper international rearmament in response to the Ukraine crisis. Biden said last month that Russia had used the Kinzhal supersonic missile against Ukrainian targets, describing it as “a consequential weapon” that was “almost impossible to stop.” Russia says it has used them twice, against targets near Mykolaiv and elsewhere in western Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has praised Kinzhal and weapons like this in the past, saying four years ago that “his speed makes him invulnerable” and that it was “very understandable why the world’s top armies seek to possess such an ideal weapon.” But others have expressed skepticism. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said he “will not see it as a game changer” and other experts see them simply as modified versions of Russian Iskander ballistic missiles fired from a plane at a target. China tests supersonic weapons using a different technology, known as an ultrasonic sliding vehicle, in which the rockets are first launched into space and then attached to a special aerodynamic spacecraft designed to land them on Earth. The United Kingdom, the United States and Australia intend to work on research into both types of ultrasonic technology – rockets and slip vehicles – and look at ways to deal with the threat. “We need to understand how our opponents’ overall targeting system can work,” said a British official. Pentagon officials have estimated that supersonic weapons will add $ 21.5 billion to the navy’s budget and $ 7 billion to the military’s budget in the coming years, although estimates are tentative as technology emerges. British sources, however, said the UK had not pledged to buy supersonic weapons, and had only been involved in a research and development phase before deciding how to proceed. Kate Hudson, secretary general of the CND pressure group, said she believed the extension of the Aukus pact “would further escalate global tensions at a time when the threat of nuclear war is at an all-time high” and was in danger of accelerating. . match with China in Asia-Pacific. “Not to mention the fact that military budgets are already escalating – what will be the opportunity cost of launching a whole new category of weapons?” Hudson added. The joint progress report will be seen as politically useful for Morrison, whose Canberra Coalition government lags behind Labor in the polls as it prepares for the May 14 or 21 federal elections. Morrison, who is expected to formally launch the election campaign within days, seeks to make national security one of his key issues, arguing that people are facing “uncertain moments” and not a time for “weakness”.
