Britain's aims to get its own hypersonic missile into service by 2030

• Military chiefs want to catch up with China , Russia and the United States 
• The weapon will be capable of flying at speeds five times the speed of sound 

Britain plans to deploy a UK-made hypersonic cruise missile by 2030, that could smash into Moscow in just 24 minutes.

Military chiefs want to catch up with China, Russia and the United States by developing a weapon capable of flying at speeds higher than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, according to The Telegraph.

The newspaper said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) wants the missile to be designed and built in the UK and to enter use by the end of the decade.

Hypersonic weapons, which are capable of reaching far higher speeds than standard cruise missiles, could evade an opponent’s air defence systems because of their speed and mid-flight manoeuvrability.

No decision has been made on whether the weapon would be launched from land, a fighter jet or a warship the plans are allegedly at an early stage.

Military chiefs want to catch up with China , Russia and the United States by developing a weapon capable of flying at speeds higher than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. Pictured Grant Shapps, defence secretary

The missiles could be fired from either a jet or a Royal Navy warship. Pictured is Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring testing one of its latest missiles, the Sea Viper

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2030.

The MoD declined to comment in detail on the development of hypersonic missile capability, citing national security concerns, but a spokesperson said: ‘We are pursuing hypersonic technologies to further develop UK sovereign advanced capabilities.

‘We continue to invest in our equipment to meet current and future threats.’

The US and China are believed to be pursuing the weapons while Russia claims it has used them on the battlefield in Ukraine.

A government defence source told the Telegraph: ‘Cutting-edge projects like this are only possible because of the massive new investment the Government has made this week in defence innovation.

‘With Labour refusing to match our investment, continuing this project would be impossible under Keir Starmer – the military would be forced to cut the hypersonic programme, in a move that would make Putin’s dreams come true.’

It comes after military chiefs announced earlier this month that they wee working to put laser into service to meet the threat posed by Russian drones and missiles.

The advanced weapon pictured being trialled at the MOD’s Hebrides Range. It is hoped the newest weapon will help combat the threat of Russian missiles and drones

Royal Artillery troops will test the revolutionary ‘DragonFire’ weaponry, which burns holes through incoming enemy ordnance, during the summer.

The sudden urgency to roll out a suite of ‘directed energy weapons’ follows the Kremlin’s alarming effective use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Ukraine.

British soldiers will also experiment with radio frequency weapons capable of firing magnetic pulses at enemy targets thereby cutting off their power supplies.

The lasers and radio frequency weapons are expected to enter service by 2027 at the latest, several years ahead of schedule.

Royal Navy ships will also be fitted with the game-changing equipment in a move which could save hundreds of millions of pounds.

Mr Shapps said: ‘We are developing these weapons at a speed and to a level that other countries are unlikely to be replicating.

‘This is so cutting edge and we are years ahead. There is a major conflict going on in Europe and we have weapons which could make a major difference, likewise in the Red Sea.

‘2027 is ahead of schedule but we will be looking to speed that up because there’s a war on. On land and on ships, the potential is very positive.

‘With an eye on the money, the laser capability cost around £10 each time it is used, so that is a lot cheaper than missile defence systems.

‘That should eliminate the advantage Russia has held in Ukraine, whereby its cheap to produce drones have been shot down by very expensive defence missiles which are in finite supply.’

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