Europe’s next long-range precision strike missile could hit the skies sooner than expected.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey has confirmed the fast-tracked development of what he previously called “one of the most advanced systems” the country has ever built.
The unnamed weapon is designed to boost NATO deterrence and reinforce the region’s defense industry base.
While other details remain undisclosed, its reported strike range of 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) already far exceeds both the UK’s Storm Shadow and Germany’s Taurus cruise missiles.
“We have accelerated work on a new 2,000-kilometer (1,243-mile) deep precision strike missile,” Healey told members of parliament. “This agreement is more important now than when we signed it a year ago.”
A ‘Landmark’ Partnership
First unveiled in May, the project is being developed under the Trinity House Agreement between Britain and Berlin signed the previous year.
The “first-of-its-kind” collaboration aims to strengthen both nations’ defense forces and deepen their industrial ties.
Alongside the missile development, the agreement includes shared acquisitions such as Sting Ray torpedoes for the P-8 Poseidon aircraft and modern military bridges sourced from the UK.
“The UK and Germany have never been closer, and the Trinity House Agreement is already making a positive impact on our security and economy,” Healey said, emphasizing that European allies “stand united” amid evolving global threats.
He added that the partnership is also an investment in Europe’s future, “helping us make defense an engine for growth” by creating jobs, boosting skills, and driving investment across the UK and Germany.
