US President Joe Biden said in a statement to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the Allies would step up co-operation in various areas, including supersonic weapons, as part of their commitment to a ” free and open Indo-Pacific “. . “We also pledged today to launch new tripartite cooperation on ultrasound and anti-ultrasound and cyber warfare capabilities, as well as to expand information exchange and deepen cooperation on defense innovation,” the three leaders said in a statement. was released after the Financial Times first mentioned the pact. “These initiatives will add to our existing efforts to deepen collaboration on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional underwater capabilities,” they added. The impetus for cooperation in the development of supersonic weapons marks the latest effort to strengthen the partnership between the three countries to address China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific. Last year, the United States signed an agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom to help Australia acquire nuclear submarines. The deal comes as the Pentagon intensifies its efforts on supersonic weapons after acknowledging that China has advanced technology. China has conducted several hundred tests of missiles, which fly at more than five times the speed of sound. This is much more than the US military, which has conducted less than a dozen tests. The FT previously reported that China launched a supersonic weapon around Earth last year that was launched into space with a rocket. The weapon – known as an ultrasonic slide vehicle – fired a missile as it flew over the South China Sea. Pentagon military scientists were surprised that China had overcome some of the limitations of the laws of physics that make it very difficult to launch a missile from a weapon traveling at such speeds. In a recent interview with FT Admiral John Aquilino, the head of the Indo-Pacific Administration, and General James Dickinson, the head of the Space Administration, said that the United States and Australia are strengthening cooperation in space and cyberspace, partly because of concern for Chinese supersonic weapons. “The ability to detect, monitor and defend against these ultrasounds is really the key,” Aquilino told Alice Springs two days before meeting with Australian security and intelligence officials at Pine Gap, a secret satellite intelligence service run by CIA and Australia. Ultrasonic missiles are a problem for the US because they can maneuver in flight at very high speeds, as opposed to ballistic missiles that follow a given trajectory that make them easier to intercept. The system China tested last year made it possible to send supersonic weapons over the South Pole, creating another problem for U.S. missile defenses aimed at missile threats coming from the North Pole. In a recent interview, Dickinson said his top priority was to improve “space sector awareness” – that is, the ability to detect and monitor rocket threats – and that the United States and its partners needed to invest more in the effort. A British official has said that the United Kingdom, which does not have supersonic weapons systems, will pool its scientific resources with the United States and Australia, which have a joint program to develop supersonic cruise missile technology. London will then decide whether to develop its own ultrasound program or focus on ultrasound systems. “Ultrasonic missiles are difficult to target, they travel very fast and can exceed the area of ​​denial capabilities,” said another British official, referring to the missile defense systems. “We need to think better about how to take advantage of this technology and defend ourselves.”

Mike Gallagher, a Republican lawmaker and top China Hak in Congress, said the Aukus expansion was a “massive development,” but Washington still had to find a solution to implement Aukus elements that are hampered by export controls. of the United States known as International Arms Traffic Regulations, or Itar. «Aukus. . . “It does not really give Australia any freedom or flexibility from Itar’s requirements,” Gallagher said. “One thing that may be necessary is to make an Aukus exception. . . I [have to] “We believe that it is possible to do this without endangering our own safety or putting American manufacturers at a disadvantage.” The announcement of the Aukus expansion comes a day after Australia announced it would spend A $ 3.5 billion ($ 2.7 billion) to accelerate upgrading its existing missile capability ahead of a planned rocket launch. precision in the country. “There is a possibility of a conflict in our area in a few years. “We have to be realistic about this threat,” Peter Dutton, Australia’s defense minister, told 9 News on Monday. Australia has named US suppliers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as strategic partners in the long-term plan to build a building base for advanced weapons capabilities in Australia. Follow Demetri Sevastopulo on Twitter