The U.S. and Japan have agreed to conduct joint research to counter hypersonic missile threats, both governments said on Thursday.

The move was announced at the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting between U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts Hayashi Yoshimasa and Kishi Nobuo just days after North Korea test-fired a new hypersonic weapon.

“We’re launching a new research and development agreement that will make it easier for our scientists, for our engineers, and program managers to collaborate on emerging defense-related issues – from countering hypersonic threats to advancing space-based capabilities,” Blinken