Britain Joins European Long-Range Missile Development Programme

BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) – In a significant move to address deficiencies in military capabilities exposed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the United Kingdom has decided to participate in a collaborative European programme dedicated to the development of long-range missiles. The announcement was made by Defence Secretary John Healey on Thursday during a meeting held alongside NATO counterparts in Brussels.

“We are making a UK commitment to the long-range missile programme, a formal commitment alongside Germany, France, Poland, and a couple of others,” stated Healey. He refrained from providing specifics regarding the missile range or other technical aspects, noting that these details are yet to be finalized. Nevertheless, he emphasized that these missiles are expected to surpass current capabilities within NATO.

This initiative forms a part of NATO’s larger strategy aimed at bolstering its deterrence efforts and enhancing the protection of Europe. The move follows discussions and agreements made at the NATO summit in Washington in July, where France, Germany, Italy, and Poland agreed to jointly develop missiles with capabilities exceeding 500 km (310 miles) in range.

Military insiders indicated at the time that the goal was to design new ground-based cruise missiles with a range between 1,000 to 2,000 km, responding to NATO’s requirement for enhanced capabilities. The United States and Germany also declared plans during the summit to temporarily deploy a range of missiles, including SM-6, Tomahawks, and emerging hypersonic weapons, on German soil by 2026. This deployment has faced criticism from Moscow, labeling it as a “very serious threat” to Russian national security.

Long-range missile capabilities have gained renewed attention following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which saw Moscow conducting cross-border strikes and Ukraine retaliating against Russian targets. Europe’s current cruise missile inventory comprises air-launched weapons such as Britain’s Storm Shadow, France’s Scalp, and Germany’s Taurus, all with a maximum range of approximately 500 km.