A new British hypersonic weapon demonstrator is expected to be delivered by 2030 as part of the Ministry of Defence’s developing hypersonics programme, according to a written parliamentary answer.
Responding to a question from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the MOD intends to deliver a hypersonic weapon demonstrator within the decade through a programme designed to accelerate development using new procurement approaches.
The initiative follows a February announcement that the UK had accelerated development of hypersonic missile technologies through a new contract aimed at advancing key capabilities.
Pollard told Parliament that the programme is attempting to move faster than traditional defence procurement processes by using what he described as innovative commercial mechanisms and a broader industrial and academic supply chain.
“Through innovative procurement practices and rapid commercial mechanisms that harness the breadth of the UK’s industrial and academic supply chain, the Ministry of Defence’s Hypersonics programme intends to deliver a weapon demonstrator by 2030,” he said.
The minister explained that the programme is designed to adopt a more flexible development model, focusing on early technology maturation, prototyping and testing rather than following the traditional defence procurement cycle.
“With a mandate to ‘do differently’, the programme deviates from traditional procurement sequencing and adopts early technology maturation, prototyping and system testing,” Pollard added.
He said the project would follow an agile, spiral development approach aligned with the Defence Industrial Strategy while still maintaining the MOD’s formal approvals process.
However, Pollard noted that the programme remains at an early stage, currently within the Strategic Outline Case phase. As a result, the overall costs of the capability and the eventual in-service date have not yet been finalised.
Hmm,, demonstrator and in-service date mentioned.
So do we take it that if the demonstrator works there will might be a production order?
If they do get a demonstrator working by 2030 I’ll be very impressed…
Cheers CR
Is it required to hit a moving target in the contract? Outlandish example maybe but a hypersonic vehicle re entering low altitude at high speed sounds like the Apollo capsule in the old days, loss of communication and ships all over the place looking for the splash down.
Trump’s slam-down of Starmer is going to rock Downing Street into getting full control over defence budgets. Like the Mayor of London, Donald won’t stop pitching smelly things at the UK Prime Minister at every opportunity. As far as Trump is concerned, a good friend disallowed a golf shot in a four-ball friendly, and he won’t forgive him. From now on the UK must determine what it can achieve using European partners to build up the British Armed Forces and reduce reliance on US tech. The UK can’t be bullied by Trump’s government, and we should give Starmer his due for not immediately folding to Orange Man. Now publish the DIP and get to work.
I read a rumour of DIP next week, probably a red herring but we can hope. Also it looks like we might be getting laser guided rockets for the typhoon, unfortunately that’s a US weapon, but better than nothing when the European equivalent doesn’t exist.
No, Starmer didn’t immediately fold to Trump. He held out for two days. My, but you Brits are delusional. You’re the laughingstock of the world and no country, European or otherwise, wants to be militarily aligned with a country unable and unwilling to defend its own citizens and air bases.
In the real world you’ll find no country wants to be aligned with US fascism. Your handler hasn’t spoon fed that line to you though…
I see, a demonstrator. So I expect after that the usual fluffing and flaffing for 20 years or so of arguments and semi-cancellations. Can we expect a couple of actual functioning missiles in service by 2050/55 with this government?.
So a demonstrater in four years and then…..?