Hypersonics Meeting

The meeting discussed the strategic implications and challenges of hypersonic weapons, particularly in the maritime domain. Dr. Kaushal highlighted the Russian hypersonic missiles Avant Garde, Zircon, and Kinzhal, and their potential threats to NATO. Stuart Cutting explained the variety of missiles and platforms currently adopted by Western (in particular the US) Governments. Prof. Barrett emphasized the difficulty of intercepting hypersonic weapons due to their speed and manoeuvrability, suggesting potential defensive strategies like engineered clouds. Prof. Barrett also noted the high costs of hypersonic weapons, with a single missile costing $100 million. The UK's hypersonic program aims for initial operational capability by 2030, with a budget of £100 million. The discussion also touched on potential European cooperation and the need for a national effort to develop hypersonic capabilities.

Minutes: APPG for Defence Technology – Hypersonic Policy Briefing

Date: Monday 24th March 2025

Time: 16:00–17:15

Location: Committee Room R, Portcullis House

Chair: James Clark/Fred Thomas MP

Attendees:

James Clark - Secretariat

Fred Thomas MP

Gagan Mohindra MP

Lord Mountevans

Prof Steven Barrett – University of Cambridge (Speaker)

Dr Sidarth Kaushal – RUSI (Speaker)

Stuart Cutting – Lockheed Martin (Speaker)

Connor Taylor – Lockheed Martin

Victoria Mackarness – VRM Advisery

Ken Turley – RUK

David Crowe – Agilexe

Jamie Francis – Babcock

Will Brazier – British Army

Georgia Pickering – CMS Strategic

Jeremy Wimble – techUK

Peter Williamson – SecureCloud+

Carl Eze – Point Zenith

Hannah Furse – Office of Fred Thomas MP

1. Welcome and Opening Remarks (16:00–16:05)

James Clark and Fred Thomas MP welcomed attendees and introduced the session’s focus on hypersonic technologies. They noted the growing relevance of these systems to UK defence strategy and set out the structure of the session.

1. Speaker Presentations (16:05–16:35)

Dr Sidharth Kaushal – Senior Research Fellow, RUSI

Topic: Strategic and maritime implications of hypersonics

• Provided a primer on hypersonic weapons, distinguishing between boost-glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles.
• Emphasised the threat to NATO posed by Russian systems such as Avant Grade, Kinzhal, and Zircon.
• Highlighted the difficulty of intercepting such systems due to low warning times and manoeuvrability.
• Discussed Russia’s strategic rationale, particularly their view of hypersonics as a hedge against Western missile defence systems.
• Raised the challenge for the UK: how to justify and structure a national hypersonic programme, particularly within the maritime domain.
• Noted UK’s current alignment with US programmes and the potential need for national leadership and infrastructure development.

Stuart Cutting – Senior Business Development Manager, Lockheed Martin

Topic: Offensive hypersonics and industry perspectives

• Outlined Lockheed Martin’s involvement in hypersonic programmes including Mako, LRHW, and Hackham.
• Discussed the technical challenges: materials science, modelling and simulation, and the demand for a skilled workforce.
• Supported the case for a focused national effort and closer UK–US collaboration.
• Emphasised the importance of clearly defined use cases and ensuring programme sustainability.

Professor Steven Barrett – Regius Professor of Engineering, Cambridge

Topic: Defensive hypersonics and academic insights

• Addressed the UK’s current vulnerabilities in missile defence, especially against hypersonic cruise missiles.
• Explained the difficulty of interception due to speed, low flight altitude, and unpredictable trajectories.
• Proposed unconventional defensive strategies including the use of engineered clouds to degrade incoming missile performance.
• Stressed the need to modernise UK defensive systems and consider layered solutions involving high-altitude assets.

Q&A and Discussion (16:35–17:15)

• James Clark raised the issue of affordability and whether the UK should pursue offensive capabilities or rely on allies.
• Further Discussion included:

The potential for European collaboration.

The balance of deterrence vs capability.

Risks of overreliance on allies in critical strategic areas.

Dr Sid and Stuart reinforced the argument for at least a minimum credible national capability.

• Noted that a UK programme is budgeted at £100m, with ambitions for IOC by 2030.
• Emphasis placed on dual approach: offensive development and defensive adaptation.
• Interest expressed in encouraging private investment and greater coordination across government and industry.

Conclusion and Next Steps (17:15)

James Clark closed the session, thanking speakers and attendees. He announced that the next APPG policy briefing will cover UAVs and noted strong interest in continued discussion and collaboration on hypersonics.