6 July 2024, 10:39 | Updated: 6 July 2024, 18:14
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McLaren collaborates with the British military in a £1 billion hypersonic defense project to enhance “effective decision-making.”
The car manufacturer’s Accelerator team will work with the MoD’s Hypersonics department as part of this significant new initiative.
The partnership aims to leverage McLaren’s expertise in high-performance environments to offer insights on optimizing supply chain relationships to the MoD.
Utilizing innovation from motorsport, digital decision-making, and team capabilities, this announcement coincides with the British Grand Prix happening at Silverstone this weekend.
“The MOD partnership with McLaren’s Accelerator team focuses on shared learning and enhancing decision-making processes to cultivate a high-performance culture and operational efficiency,” a McLaren spokesperson explained.
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“McLaren Racing is in no way involved in developing any technology or weapon capabilities with the MOD,” noted a McLaren spokesperson.
This defense initiative comes amidst rising tensions with Russia and China, following recent criticism of government defense spending.
Hypersonic missiles can travel faster than Mach 5, making them challenging to intercept as they are capable of maneuvering during flight.
This Sunday, McLaren’s Formula 1 team, including drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, will compete at the British Grand Prix for pole position.
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Hypersonic missiles are developed to achieve much higher speeds than traditional cruise missiles and play a significant role in modern defense systems.
Recent developments have shown Russia and China displaying their military power through advancements in hypersonic missiles technology.
Russia recently deployed Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles in Ukraine as part of their ongoing operations.
Despite claims of invincibility from Vladimir Putin, some Russian missiles in the area were successfully intercepted by US Patriot rockets, as reported by The Sun.
Additionally, China demonstrated its military capabilities by test-firing two hypersonic weapons in 2022.
