In brief
Twelve NATO members announced a £37 bn ($50 bn) investment for the Deep Precision Strike long‑range missile, designed to reach targets up to 250 km with pinpoint accuracy and potentially 1,250 km reach. The project, unveiled by the UK government, will be taken up at the Ankara summit where Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper aim to rally European allies around the new system. While the missile remains a decade away from service, the move signals a shift toward a more self‑sufficient European defence posture amid rising tensions with Russia. The announcement also highlights the US push for higher defence spending and the broader debate on how NATO will balance deterrence and cooperation in the coming years.
Twelve NATO members, including the UK, are set to spend more than £37 bn (US$50 bn) over the next ten years on the Deep Precision Strike long‑range missile, a project unveiled by the Prime Minister’s Office and scheduled for discussion at the Ankara summit.
The missile is billed as NATO’s most advanced weapon, with a 300‑km precision strike capability that could reach up to 1,250 km. It is intended to hit high‑value targets and the logistical nodes that sustain enemy forces, thereby deterring aggression and strengthening collective security.
Sir Keir Starmer, in his final NATO summit as prime minister, emphasised the project’s role in uniting European allies and maintaining NATO’s safety for years to come. He warned the Russian threat and underlined the need to be fully prepared to defend every member, a message echoed by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Deep Precision Strike programme, however, is expected to be ready only in the 2030s, a reality that coincides with the US call for a review of American forces in Europe. President Trump has criticised NATO members for not meeting the agreed 5 % of GDP defence‑spending target by 2035.
The UK’s commitment of £300 bn to defence by 2030, announced earlier this year, underscores the country’s broader investment in a modernised national security strategy. The missile project is a key component of this plan, signalling a shift toward a European‑focused deterrence model.
