- UK will spend over £400 million this financial year on
hypersonic and long-range weapons including joint projects with
France, Germany, and Italy.
- Boost in missile spending sustains high-skilled jobs across
the UK, including over 1,300 experts developing the next
generation successor for Storm Shadow missiles.
- Defence Secretary holds crucial meetings with allies at the
Munich Security Conference to enhance industrial cooperation.
The UK is scaling up cooperation with key European allies to
develop new long-range precision and hypersonic weapons, with
spending on projects set to exceed £400 million this financial
year.
Britain is progressing the Stratus joint missile programme with
France and Italy – leading the work to develop a next generation
stealth replacement to the Storm Shadow missile.
Stratus, which is developing both stealth and high-speed missile
variants, already sustains over 1,300 high-skilled jobs in the
UK. The new missiles will be able to defeat high-value targets,
destroy enemy ships, and suppress enemy air defences.
At the same time, Britian's new long-range weapon programme with
Germany is progressing rapidly with a new joint study phase about
to begin, accelerating both future stealth and hypersonic
weapons. This follows the landmark UK-Germany Trinity House
Agreement signed within the first months of this Government in
2024.
The new system – known as Deep Precision Strike – will have a
range of over 2,000 km and be among the most advanced systems
ever designed by the UK, coming into service in the 2030s.
Long-range weapons are crucial to protecting the UK and our
allies and boosting NATO deterrence.
The government has committed to the largest sustained increase in
defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of
GDP from 2027 – to ensure that Britain and our allies are safe.
Defence Secretary MP said:
“To meet this new era of rising threats, we need hard power,
strong alliances and sure diplomacy.
“We can see from the war in Ukraine the decisive impact of
long-range precision weapons, so the UK is stepping up, investing
more than £400 million for long-range and hypersonic weapons this
year.
“Alongside Germany, France and Italy, we will deliver the
cutting-edge weapons that will keep the UK and NATO safe, boost
deterrence, and build a new deal for European security.”
Hypersonic weapons investment this year also includes funding for
developing critical technologies, ground and flight testing, as
well as significant funding for academic skills and training
including funding post-graduate study.
The Defence Secretary is expected to discuss these projects and
deepening industrial cooperation during crucial meetings with
European and international allies at the Munich Security
Conference.
This ramped up missile cooperation by European allies comes as
Russia's aggression in Ukraine continues. In early February, UK
Defence Intelligence confirmed that Russia conducted a major
multi-axis and multi-weapon strike on Ukraine, using long range
bombers, hypersonic missiles, over 60 ballistic and cruise
missiles, and 450 one-way attack drones.
The Defence Secretary is expected to talk to allies during a
series of bilateral meetings at the Munich Security Conference
about boosting support for Ukraine, defending Europe against
growing Russian threats, and enhancing industrial
partnerships with key allies and partners.
