The British Ministry of Defense plans to equip the country's armed forces with its own hypersonic cruise missile by the end of the decade, reports the British newspaper The Telegraph, citing sources, reports Focus.
Britain's military leadership wants the army to have a weapon capable of speeds above Mach 5 to catch up with China, Russia and the US, which already have weapons of this type.
The Ministry of Defense in London insists that the new weapon be designed and manufactured in Great Britain, with the deadline for its introduction into service being by 2030.
At present, plans to develop a hypersonic missile of its own are believed to be still in the early stages and no decision has been made as to whether it should be launched from land, sea or air.
One option is to mount such a missile on a fighter such as a Typhoon or F-35. However, then it will have a shorter range and smaller payload than a ground-launched weapon. The missile can also be launched from any of the British warships.
Since the end of last year, the British Ministry of Defense has been managing a consortium of about 80 companies to develop possible missile projects, the publication recalls.