The United Kingdom plans to present the prototype of its first hypersonic missile by 2030, according to the country’s deputy defense secretary, AzerNEWS reports.
Luke Pollard said in a written response that the hypersonic program of the UK Ministry of Defence is targeting the development of a demonstration weapon by the end of the decade.
According to Pollard, the program is part of broader efforts to strengthen the United Kingdom’s next-generation defense capabilities as global competition over advanced weapons technologies intensifies.
Earlier, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that London plans to allocate £400 million in 2026 for the development of new types of precision-guided and hypersonic weapons in cooperation with several European countries.
The investment reflects growing interest among Western nations in hypersonic systems-missiles capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5-amid rapid advancements in such technologies by global military powers.