UK Awards Hypersonic Missile Design Contract to US Firm Amentum.

Team Hypersonics UK has selected U.S. Company Amentum within the Ministry of Defence to deliver missile design engineering and program management support for Britain’s emerging hypersonic strike capability. The award strengthens London’s push for a sovereign hypersonic demonstrator while reinforcing trilateral AUKUS cooperation with the United States and Australia.

U.S. Company Amentum announced on February 17, 2026, that it has been chosen by Team Hypersonics UK, part of the British Ministry of Defence, to provide missile design engineering and program management expertise for the United Kingdom’s developing hypersonic strike capability. The Industry Mission Partner contract supports London’s goal of fielding a sovereign hypersonic weapon system demonstrator and aligns technical development efforts with AUKUS partners, particularly the United States and Australia. The move reflects growing integration among the three nations on advanced strike technologies, including high-speed propulsion, guidance, and systems integration, as Western allies accelerate efforts to counter emerging hypersonic threats from peer competitors.
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U.S. Company Amentum engineers and UK Ministry of Defence officials collaborate on the design of a hypersonic weapon system under the AUKUS framework. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group editing)

The 15-month contract, with options for a three-year extension, is designed to accelerate development timelines and structure a national industrial ecosystem capable of sustaining advanced missile production.

For Army Recognition, this development signals more than a routine industrial award. It reflects a strategic recalibration within the UK’s defence establishment, where hypersonic weapons are increasingly viewed as essential to credible deterrence against peer adversaries that field maneuverable, high-speed strike systems. Russia’s Avangard and Kinzhal programs and China’s DF-17 have reshaped the strategic debate in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Britain’s entry into this domain, in partnership with the United States and Australia, aligns its modernization trajectory with AUKUS Pillar II priorities, which emphasize advanced capabilities such as hypersonics, quantum technologies, and undersea systems.

Under the IMP framework, Amentum will establish a Joint Programme Office and a System Engineering Delivery Advisory Team to conduct detailed engineering design work for the MOD’s hypersonic weapon system demonstrator. The focus extends beyond theoretical design. The teams will refine system-level requirements, integrate sensor platforms, assess flight-test configurations, and evaluate propulsion and thermal protection constraints associated with sustained hypersonic flight. While the UK has not publicly confirmed whether its demonstrator will rely on a boost-glide vehicle or air-breathing scramjet propulsion, officials close to the program indicate that multiple architecture pathways are under examination to ensure sovereign design flexibility.

The contract tasks Amentum with delivering comprehensive lifecycle solutions that span systems engineering, mission planning, test design and execution, safety systems integration, and cost modeling. Such a cradle-to-grave advisory role positions the company at the core of Britain’s effort to compress development cycles while maintaining compliance with strict safety and airworthiness standards. Hypersonic systems impose unique engineering burdens, particularly in materials science, where thermal loads can exceed 2,000 degrees Celsius, and in guidance and control algorithms capable of maneuvering at Mach 5 and above under plasma-induced communication constraints.

Loren Jones, senior vice president and head of Amentum’s Energy and Environment International business, emphasized the global dimension of the undertaking. He noted that Amentum’s expertise in state-of-the-art engineering solutions and its technology partnerships would drive innovation across the supply chain. In conversations with industry observers, this supply chain integration is seen as central to Britain’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which seeks to anchor advanced weapons production domestically while leveraging transatlantic technology flows.

Rupert Pearce, the MOD’s national armaments director, framed the IMP contract as emblematic of a new acquisition philosophy. By breaking down traditional organizational boundaries between government, primes, SMEs, and academia, the model aims to deliver at pace. Analysts familiar with UK procurement reform efforts say the IMP approach resembles U.S. rapid-capability office structures, in which cross-functional teams streamline decision-making and reduce bureaucratic friction. If successful, it could serve as a template for other high-technology programs.

Subcontractors Ebeni Ltd and Synthetik Applied Technologies UK Ltd will support Amentum’s effort, reinforcing the domestic industrial footprint. Ebeni brings experience in complex defense program advisory services, while Synthetik Applied Technologies has specialized in advanced simulation and digital engineering environments. Their inclusion suggests that digital twin modeling and high-fidelity simulation will underpin the UK’s hypersonic demonstrator development, reducing reliance on costly live testing during early phases.

From a military-technical perspective, the demonstrator’s ultimate configuration will determine its operational impact. Hypersonic strike systems can penetrate advanced air and missile defense networks thanks to their speed, maneuverability, and depressed flight trajectories. For the British Armed Forces, such a capability could be integrated into Royal Air Force platforms, maritime launch systems, or potentially ground-based configurations aligned with NATO deterrence planning. The engineering advisory phase now underway will clarify integration pathways and examine compatibility with existing command-and-control architectures.

The AUKUS dimension adds further weight. Washington has already advanced several hypersonic initiatives, including the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon and the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike program. Australia is simultaneously investing in its own hypersonic research infrastructure. By aligning design standards and testing methodologies, the UK positions itself to benefit from shared experimentation data and potentially interoperable missile technologies. Defense officials privately acknowledge that collaborative flight testing arrangements, possibly involving U.S. ranges, are under evaluation.

Amentum’s expanding footprint in the UK defense sector provides a foundation for this role. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, the company employs approximately 50,000 personnel worldwide. It has been deeply embedded in British defense programs, including advisory support for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine enterprise and engineering contributions to the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Its selection underscores the transatlantic character of Britain’s modernization drive, blending sovereign ambition with allied industrial expertise.

For Army Recognition readers, the significance of this award lies in the convergence of policy, technology, and alliance strategy. Hypersonic weapons are not merely faster missiles. They represent a transformation in strike doctrine, compressing response times and challenging traditional missile defense paradigms. The UK’s decision to accelerate its program through an Industry Mission Partner model suggests that London views time as a strategic variable in an increasingly contested security environment.

The coming 15 months will determine whether Britain can translate ambition into demonstrable hardware. If the engineering advisory phase proceeds as planned and transitions into extended development under the optional three-year extension, the UK could emerge as a credible European contributor to hypersonic deterrence within NATO and AUKUS frameworks. In a defense landscape defined by speed and technological rivalry, the race is no longer theoretical. It is operational, industrial, and geopolitical.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.