Following the news that BAE Systems will increase investment in Australia to support the rapid development of a sovereign high-speed weapons capability under ‘Project Javelin’ in 2021:  

Mathew George, Ph.D, Analyst, Aerospace, Defense and Security at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The move to fast-track indigenous development of hypersonic technologies is part of a strategy to counter developments primarily made by China in this space. Australia and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have been working on the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) program and there has been a renewed interest in collaboration since late last year.

“According to GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Hypersonic Technologies (Defense) – Thematic Research’, Australia is seeking to build up its industrial base in advanced technologies and that is where BAE Systems Australia is hoping to capitalize on by developing a ‘sovereign capability over the next four years’. But BAE’s focus is not only to create a long-range strike capability but also to focus on developing technologies to defend against high-speed weapons. Both equally important in the sphere of hypersonic technology.”