In this handout image released by the US Navy, a hypersonic missile launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, on March 19, 2020. (OSCAR SOSA / US NAVY / AFP)

CANBERRA - Australia and the United States will build and test hypersonic missiles that can travel five times faster than the speed of sound under a new agreement, Australian Minister for Defense Linda Reynolds said Tuesday in a statement.

The agreement was first discussed during meetings between Reynolds and her then US counterpart Mark Esper in July, and was signed in late November.

Under the new agreement, Australia will test the missiles with the aim of adding them to the arsenal of the Australian Defense Force within 5-10 years

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Under the new agreement, Australia will test the missiles with the aim of adding them to the arsenal of the Australian Defense Force within 5-10 years, Reynolds said.

Testing will focus on how the weapons perform in operational conditions, which would inform future purchases, she said.

The Australian government has allocated 9.3 billion Australian dollars (US$7.7 billion) for high-speed long-range missiles and missile defense this year, according to the 2020 Defense Strategic Update.

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