The Department of Defense (DoD) has partnered with Australia to accelerate the development and testing of air-breathing hypersonic weapon systems.
DoD said Monday its Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE) effort with Australia’s defense agency will prototype air-breathing hypersonic technologies for eventual flight demonstrations, building on a 15-year hypersonics partnership between the U.S. and Australia.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) describes the hypersonic air-breathing weapon concept as technologies necessary to build affordable, air-launched hypersonic missiles.
“Working with our defense scientists here in Australia and our partners in the U.S. Air Force and across the U.S. Department of Defense on leading-edge capabilities brings out the best in our Air Force team,” said Mel Hupfeld, chief of Australia’s air force.
The U.S. Navy and Australia’s defense science and technology group will also contribute to SCIFiRE.
