The United States, Britain and Australia have said they will work together to develop their ability to launch and intercept supersonic missiles – which travel at five times the speed of sound and can change course in flight – as well as electronic warfare, which is the use of electromagnetic spectrum to interrupt enemy operations. The three countries joined forces in a new military agreement, called AUKUS, last September – an alliance condemned by China – to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia for the first time. Ultrasonic missiles pose a significant threat to Western allies. Last fall, a senior U.S. general warned at a Halifax security forum that China and Russia had overtaken the United States in developing the technology, which is considered by some to be the first weapon of choice. Defense expert David Perry said it was worrying that Canada’s closest allies were extending their military pact without Canada. “It certainly seems that AUKUS is fast becoming an advanced framework for defense cooperation, not just submarines,” said Perry, who chairs the think tank at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “It’s not good for Canada to be outside the club and look at three different high-tech elements of modern warfare.” Canada has been part of a five-eyed exchange agreement with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand for decades. Intelligence and defense analysts have described AUKUS as the latest development in military and covert cooperation for these countries, calling it the “Three Eyes” group that excludes Canada and New Zealand, both of which lag behind in defense spending. Last September, Mr Trinto dismissed the idea that Canada had been excluded from an allied club, saying the deal was merely a sale of submarine technology to Australia. “We continue to be strong members of the Five Eyes,” the prime minister said last September. “This is an agreement on nuclear submarines, for which Canada is not currently or soon on the market. Australia is. “ Asked if the federal government was concerned about deepening the AUKUS partnership, Defense Minister Anita Anand’s spokeswoman Daniel Minden declined to say, but said Ottawa has long-standing defense ties with all three countries. He said the government would soon present a package of assistance to help modernize North America’s air defense. “Canada and the United States are particularly closely coordinated with emerging threats to the North American continent – including long-range cruise missiles such as supersonic devices.” Mr Perry said he felt it was worrying last year when Canada was left out of the AUKUS submarine deal, which he said included “some of the most advanced military capabilities on the planet”. He said Canada should approach AUKUS and measure whether allies are interested in adding a member. However, he noted, Canada has shown little interest in AUKUS issues. “Step 1 would be to convince our three closest allies that it would be worth having a conversation with us,” he said. In a joint statement Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said they were pleased with the progress of the conventional armored nuclear submarine program for Australia. “We are also committed today to launching a new tripartite cooperation on ultrasound and anti-ultrasound, as well as cyber warfare capabilities,” the statement said. The United States and Australia have a supersonic weapons program called the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE). British officials have said that although Britain will not participate in the program at this time, the three countries will work together on research and development in the region. The Biden government is investing in research and development of supersonic missiles as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has heightened European security concerns. Asked about the inclusion of supersonic weapons in the co-operation agreement, China’s ambassador to the UN, Zhang Joon, warned on Tuesday of measures that could fuel something similar to the conflict in Ukraine. “Anyone who does not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things that could lead other parts of the world to a crisis like this,” Mr Zhang told reporters. “As the Chinese proverb says: If you do not like it, do not impose it on others.” Reported by Reuters For subscribers only: Receive exclusive political news and analysis by subscribing to Political information.
