Almost all of China's offensive weapons were neutralized by the Australian military, but there is one type of weapon that seems to have frightened the Kangaroo Country. The weapon in question is a ballistic missile that can fly at the hypersonic level, which is said to be unable to be intercepted or dropped by a conventional anti-aircraft missile system.
Departing from potential future threats, Canberra has awarded a contract to Qinetiq to develop and supply a laser-based anti-aircraft missile system to neutralize hypersonic missile attacks.
Quoting from The Telegraph – telegraph.co.uk (18/1/2023), Qinetiq, a defense contractor from England, who is also known as a supplier of target drones for Arhanud TNI AD, is reported to have signed an agreement to support Australia in developing laser weapons to fight hypersonic missile threat.
Qinetiq has so far spearheaded plans to develop a directed energy weapon to destroy hypersonic missiles. This hypersonic anti-missile anti-missile system is known in Britain as Dragonfire. Qinetiq is not alone in this matter, namely by partnering with Leonardo UK and MBDA Systems.
Qinetic said some expressed interest in the technology because it offers a credible challenge to so-called hypersonic missiles, which travel at speeds of more than 3,800 miles per hour and are difficult to hit with physical weapons.
Qinetiq Dragonfire is also designed to engage conventional cruise missiles, drones and other air targets. The Dragonfire is not powered by electricity, nor does it need ammunition, which is an attractive advantage at a time when the West is burning its missile reserves by donating them to Ukraine.
Australia has rewarded Qinetiq with a three-year contract valued at Aus$13 million. Under the technology transfer agreement, Qinetiq will develop prototypes and build a Dragonfire manufacturing base in Australia.
Rockets and cruise missiles typically fly at Mach 3, while hypersonic missiles fly at Mach 5 or faster. As well as being extremely fast, hypersonic missiles have unpredictable flight paths that make them difficult to track. This combination is considered a particular threat to single warships because the response time will be minimal.
China has reportedly conducted several test launches of the Dongfeng DF-17 hypersonic ballistic missile in 2021. Meanwhile, Russia has also launched the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile from the Admiral Gorshkov Frigate.
The Dragonfire project moves one step closer to production following successful tests at the Porton Down defense lab in November 2022. The Dragonfire is fired from a long distance to demonstrate its accuracy. This laser is capable of exerting around 50kW of power and can penetrate armor.
In an update to investors, Qinetiq also said it has delivered four more prototypes of its Robotic Combat Light Vehicle (RCV-L) platform in the US. The three-tonne unit was designed for reconnaissance but would be equipped with a 25mm gun.
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