A prototype of a missile dubbed Mako that is capable of exceeding Mach 5 speeds and could be fired from F-35 fighter jets was picked by the company as an example of weaponry that could be worked on in the United Kingdom, the newspaper said.
"I think Mako is a great example, because it’s a multi mission missile that we could use a hypersonic version of that’s got good range and good speed and good compatibility with a number of platforms," Tim Cahill, president for missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin, told the newspaper.
Cahill added that these were the "places where the UK could clearly contribute," adding that such a format of partnership has become possible under the AUKUS alliance, allowing each of its members to prioritize defense spending in the face of budget constraints.
Since 2023, the UK Defense Ministry has controlled a consortium of some 80 companies with the goal of developing a domestic hypersonic missile until 2030, the newspaper reported. Therefore, looming deadlines could nudge the ministry into cooperating with Lockheed Martin, which has years of experience in developing such arms.
AUKUS is a trilateral defense partnership announced by the US, the UK and Australia in September 2021. The first pillar of the partnership concerns the creation of an Australian fleet of nuclear submarines using US and UK technology. The second pillar involves the development of a range of technologies, including underwater robotics, quantum electronics, cybersecurity and electronic warfare capabilities, supersonic weapons and defense mechanisms against them.