The US could begin testing hypersonic weapons on Australian soil as part of the AUKUS alliance

The US sees Australia as a testing ground for new weapons systems, including hypersonic weapons. Attention is being paid to developing advanced capabilities within the AUKUS alliance, which also includes the UK.

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At the moment, AUKUS is primarily focused on providing Australia with nuclear submarines. US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Australia's contribution to the alliance does not always have to involve financial investment.

Australia could be an excellent testing ground for advanced weapons systems, including hypersonic missiles. It is also worth noting that the first launch of an ATACMS ballistic missile was recently carried out on the territory of the country as part of military exercises.

Australia has the advantage of large territories with a relatively small population. Such territories would be an excellent place to test U.S. missile weapons.

In addition to hypersonic missiles, Christine Wormuth mentioned the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). This is a tactical missile with a prospective maximum range of 1,000 kilometres (currently 500 kilometres), which will be a replacement for ATACMS.

It is worth noting that Australia has already been a testing ground for weapons. For example, in the middle of the last century, Britain began to conduct nuclear bomb tests. They lasted from 1952 to 1963. During this time, more than a dozen nuclear tests were carried out.

Source: scmp