Australia to develop hypersonic missiles

SYDNEY: Australia will jointly develop hypersonic cruise missiles with the United States in a bid to counter China and Russia which are developing similar weapons, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said on Tuesday. “We will continue to invest in advanced capabilities to give the Australian Defence Force more options to deter aggression against Australia’s interests,” Reynolds said in a statement. She did not reveal the cost of developing the missiles or when they would be operational. Australia had set aside up to A$9.3 billion this year for high-speed, long-range missile defence systems. — AFP