Hypersonic weapons are very expensive and are not often used in actual combat. Nevertheless, the European Union decided to take preventative measures after the Russian hypersonic “Kinzhal” missiles were used during their invasion of Ukraine. Spanish and German missile manufacturers will be working together on the development of an innovative hypersonic interceptor technology.
The European Union has already stated who the recipients of these projects will be. These recipients include the European Hypersonic Defense Interceptor (EU HYDEF) program. The objective of this program is to create an endo-atmospheric interceptor that functions in the lower layers of the atmosphere to minimize the time needed to eliminate a hypersonic weapon target.
The end goal of the project is to develop and demonstrate a working hypersonic missile interceptor. This means that almost all components will have to be designed from scratch, including propulsion, sensor, and guidance systems.
The total time estimated for the completion of the program is 36 months. According to the initial evaluation, this development will cost approximately €110 million ($110.2 million). The program will be coordinated by the Sener Aerospacial Sociedad Anonima (Spain). Diehl Defence (Germany) will act as a technical lead.
