UK MoD HTCDF contract announcement July 2024

Hypersonix Launch Systems Ltd, Australia’s leading aerospace company specializing in hydrogen scramjet propulsion technology and hypersonic aircraft design & manufacture, today announces it has signed a framework contract with the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the multi-supplier Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF) initiative.

With this framework the MoD plans to accelerate the development of a sovereign hypersonic capability to support the UK’s defence force. MoD has selected 90 companies to contribute the necessary technology to bring this capability to reality.

The MoD will spend £1B (~AUD1.9B) over seven years to deliver the program - sourcing services, technologies and testing capabilities from more than 90 accredited framework suppliers such as Hypersonix Launch Systems.

The UK HTCDF contract comes 12 months after Hypersonix was awarded the HyCAT program by the United States Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to build and fly Hypersonix’s DART hypersonic test bed.

DART is a 3.5m hydrogen fuelled Mach 7 aircraft that is powered by a single air-breathing SPARTAN scramjet engine, and first flight under the HyCAT program is planned for early 2025.

Hypersonix CEO, Mr. Matt Hill said of the win, “We are incredibly proud to now have the opportunity to contribute our world leading hypersonic technology to two AUKUS nation defence programs.”