The Telegraph has learned that Britain plans to arm its army with its own hypersonic cruise missile by the end of the decade, reports UNN.
The UK Ministry of Defense insists that the new weapon must be designed and manufactured entirely in the UK, and is expected to set a deadline of 2030 for it to enter service.
According to The Telegraph, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has identified the project as one of the areas of a planned £75 billion increase in the defense budget over the next six years.
According to the publication, a Defense Ministry source said, "Such cutting-edge projects are only possible because of the huge new investment the government made this week in defense innovation.
Plans to launch the rocket are believed to be still at an early stage and no decision has yet been made on whether it will be launched from land, sea or air.
It is reported that late last year the British Ministry of Defense established a consortium of about 80 companies to develop possible projects. A framework agreement on hypersonic technology and capability development was launched in December 2023 as part of the so-called "national mission".