Hypersonica, the Anglo-German defence and aerospace company building Europe’s sovereign hypersonic strike capability, today announced successful completion of its first hypersonic test flight at Andøya Space in Norway – the first privately funded European defence company to achieve this technological milestone.
Hypersonica’s missile prototype accelerated to speeds exceeding Mach 6, with a range of over 300km. Throughout the ascent and subsequent descent through the atmosphere, all systems operated nominally. System performance was successfully validated down to subcomponent level at hypersonic speeds.
Hypersonica co-founders Dr Philipp Kerth (CEO) and Dr Marc Ewenz (CTO) said: “Hypersonica has achieved a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability by 2029. Our test flight yielded invaluable datasets that will inform the design and development of future high‑speed strike systems and enhance our ability to analyse adversary weapon profiles. As a privately funded startup, our speed from design to the launchpad in just 9 months should recalibrate expectations about the costs and time needed to develop this crucial capability.
Proud Moment in Innovation
“This is a proud moment for European defence innovation. As Europeans grounded in the values of freedom and democracy, we pursue this work with a clear sense of responsibility for the safe and principled development of this cutting‑edge technology.
“We are grateful for the expert support and partnership from Andøya Space on this successful mission.”
Hypersonica’s goal is to develop hypersonic strike capability by 2029. This timeline is a phased approach with successive test flights aimed at: achieving hypersonic flight, demonstrating advanced flight control at hypersonic speeds, then achieving complex manoeuvrability, and finally achieving full mission requirements.
Preparation for this maiden test flight included concept, design, procurement, integration, and ground testing on the technical side as well as export control, regulations, flight safety, range organisation on the commercial side, all completed within 9 months.
Cost Effective Operation
Hypersonica’s modular architecture enables swift upgrades and shorter, more cost-efficient development cycles, reducing costs by over 80 % compared with conventional approaches. This approach will enable Europe to field hypersonic capability within the timelines of both the NATO and UK 2030 Hypersonic Frameworks – and at a fraction of the usual expense.
