The company said system performance was validated down to subcomponent level at hypersonic speeds during the flight. Preparation for the test, including design, integration, regulatory approvals and range safety, was completed within nine months.
Hypersonica co-founders Philipp Kerth and Marc Ewenz said: “Hypersonica has achieved a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability by 2029.” They added: “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.”
They also said: “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.” The founders said: “This is a proud moment for European defence innovation.”
The company said its modular architecture could reduce development costs by more than 80% compared with conventional approaches. Hypersonica said this would allow Europe to field hypersonic capability within NATO and UK 2030 framework timelines and “at a fraction of the usual expense.”
