The Australian and UK defense technology agencies are set to jointly develop low-cost, guided weapon systems.
This effort is under the Copperhead Project Arrangement signed in February. The UK first announced the partnership in April, followed by Australia this month.
It fuses Canberra’s Sharktooth small guided missile, which rapidly integrates parts like sensors and warheads, with London’s Modular Weapons Testbed. The expected capability is a “plug-and-launch” modular technology that can be rapidly reconfigured in the field.
This feature would enable “the soldier in the field to adapt to the mission at hand by combining weapon components or a mix of weapons,” said Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group Research Leader Dr. Michael Sharp.
Sharp and Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro highlighted the weapon’s potential to deliver an asymmetric advantage on the battlefield.
Additionally, the effort will help boost Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability while providing the UK with an architecture that could shape its future missile programs.
Low-Cost, Modular, Fast Deterrence
The Copperhead project is a response to the increasing demand for adaptable munitions capable of countering diverse and fast-evolving threats.
Similarly, the Lockheed Martin-made Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) and Europe’s MBDA-made Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) air-launched weapon both feature modularity and support rapid reconfiguration.
However, they typically involve long development cycles and high costs.
The Copperhead, with its plug-and-launch feature, differentiates itself as an affordable and quick-to-deploy deterrence option on the battlefield, Army Recognition noted.
