US lawmakers support joint production of hypersonic missiles by the US and Australia.

On Friday in Sydney, United States Republican Congressman Michael McCaul stated that the joint production of hypersonic missiles by Australia and the US can alleviate the pressure on US defense industrial bases and enhance deterrence against China in the Indo-Pacific region.

During his visit to Sydney, the Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed in an interview that Australia’s production of cutting-edge weapons exemplifies how the US is strengthening its competitiveness in advanced weapons development by streamlining the authorization process for sensitive defense technology and exempting 70% of Australian defense products from export licensing requirements starting September 1.

Australian officials announced on Thursday that Australia, the US, and the UK have eliminated significant defense trade barriers among the AUKUS partners. Starting from September 1, up to 70% of defense technology will no longer require export licenses, paving the way for faster approval of highly sensitive technology exports.

The US is Australia’s closest security ally, but restrictions under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) have limited the sharing of highly classified defense technologies in the past.

According to Reuters, the move is seen as Australia’s step towards acquiring US nuclear-powered attack submarines within the next twenty years and jointly developing new conventional armed nuclear-powered submarines with the US and UK.

McCaul emphasized that his focus during this trip is on the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the US, and the UK under AUKUS, which involves US and UK assistance in Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and joint development of other advanced defense technologies including hypersonic missiles, underwater drones, and quantum technology.

Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds over five times faster than the speed of sound in the upper atmosphere, with China conducting tests on them in 2021. Russia claims to have used a hypersonic missile named “Kinzhal” during the conflict in Ukraine, raising concerns among NATO member countries.

However, the UK Ministry of Defense stated that the “Kinzhal” missile used by Russia in Ukraine is actually an air-launched version of the Iskander short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). Russia has employed the Iskander SRBM multiple times during its invasion of Ukraine.

CNN reported that the “Kinzhal” missile is not the hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) promoted by Russian President Putin externally. In fact, all missiles are hypersonic, meaning their speeds are at least five times the speed of sound. This is not a new technology. Putin claimed in 2018 that the domestically developed HGVs were nearly interception-proof.

Australia and the US are currently collaborating to test a weapon called the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). Following bilateral talks last week, the defense and foreign ministers of both countries announced that Australia will evaluate deploying this missile as the first hypersonic weapon on fighter jets.

“I just visited a hypersonic company yesterday, and we are moving towards joint production,” McCaul said. “It has already started, and it’s an exciting development that will help alleviate the pressure we see on our defense industrial base.”

During his visit to the Philippines, McCaul highlighted that under the AUKUS agreement, the rotational deployment of US nuclear submarines in Australia serves as a deterrence in the region, especially amidst Chinese pressure on the Philippines regarding the South China Sea issue.

He believes that the Chinese leadership “most fears this alliance because he knows what it means — not just the rotational deployment of nuclear submarines but also that we have this innovative technology.”

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing expressed this week that AUKUS “harms” efforts to maintain regional peace and security and called for ceasing the advancement of this trilateral security partnership.

Bloomberg reported that with the US election approaching in November, McCaul stated during his interview in Sydney on Friday, “AUKUS has received broad support from both parties, whether in committees or Congress… I believe the majority of Americans view communist China as the biggest threat, and they will fully support the AUKUS initiative.”