Australia and the UK have launched a joint effort to create next-generation, low-cost guided weapons, formalized through the Copperhead Project Arrangement signed in February. The partnership was first disclosed by the UK in April, with Australia confirming its role this month.
At its core, Copperhead combines Canberra’s Sharktooth missile, which allows fast integration of key subsystems, with London’s Modular Weapons Testbed, producing a modular “plug-and-launch” technology adaptable to shifting battlefield needs.
The initiative responds to rising demand for versatile, reconfigurable munitions that can keep pace with rapidly changing threats. Comparable systems, such as the JAGM and MBDA’s SPEAR, deliver modularity but at significantly higher cost and development time.
Copperhead distinguishes itself as a quick-to-field, lower-cost alternative, designed to strengthen allied deterrence with scalable, adaptable firepower.
