Aukus partnership plans to develop hypersonic weapons in apparent response to China’s build-up

The United States, Britain and Australia announced plans on Tuesday to cooperate on state-of-the-art weaponry – including hypersonic missiles and “counter-hypersonics”, an apparent response to China’s aggressive pursuit of its own hypersonic arsenal.

It is the latest sign that Washington and many of its closest allies, including those in the new “Aukus” security partnership, remain focused on the growing military threat from Beijing, even as the war in Ukraine grinds on with no obvious end in sight.