TSAMTO, July 13. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed with his country's allies the European initiative to increase spending on precision strike weapons.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, as part of this initiative, European NATO countries plan to allocate $50 billion over the next decade to purchase precision-guided weapons with a range of 300 to 2,000 km. In addition, the project provides for the exchange of experience and technological developments, as well as the expansion of industrial cooperation.
The Defense Investment Plan (DIP – Defense Investment Plan) presented by the British authorities in June provides for the allocation of up to 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) for high-precision strike weapons by 2030. These include a joint program with Germany and the trilateral Stratus project, implemented jointly with France and Italy.
Thus, in accordance with the Trinity House agreement signed in October 2024, the United Kingdom, together with Germany, is implementing a program to develop a long-range precision strike system that can hit targets at a distance of more than 2,000 km. It is expected to enter service in the 2030s.
The program is initially focused on the development of ground launch facilities, but involves evaluating the possibility of their use on board aircraft and ships. Within the framework of DIP, 770 million pounds are planned to be invested in joint development over the next four years.
The trilateral Stratus project, together with France and Italy, will develop low-visibility, high-speed versions of next-generation missiles to hit important targets, including warships and enemy air defense systems. These missiles will replace the Storm Shadow missile launcher. The UK will invest 1.4 billion pounds in this project over the next four years. The work will be carried out by MBDA in Stevenage and Bolton.
MBDA presented the Stratus project, implemented in the interests of France, Italy and the United Kingdom, involving the development of a next-generation FC/ASW (Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon) cruise/anti-ship missile, at DSEI-2025. The updated version of the French Law on Military Programs for 2024-2030, published by the National Assembly on April 8, 2026, confirmed that the Stratus Rapid Strike (SRS) missile will be used from aboard the Rafale aircraft of the French Air Force to suppress enemy air defenses.
In addition, the UK is joining the PrSM precision missile development program jointly implemented by the United States and Australia.
The Ministry of Defense plans to spend 190 million pounds on the supply of short-range missiles, which will triple (up to 500 km) the radius of destruction of missile systems in service with the country's military.
The British authorities expect that these programs will equip the Armed Forces with a family of long-range strikes that can be used from land, sea and air. As stated by Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper, thanks to the possibility of high-precision strikes over long distances, the UK and its allies will be able to hit important military targets and logistical systems of the enemy, ensuring the functioning of armies, deterring any aggressor and strengthening mutual security.
In turn, Germany is discussing the possibility of purchasing Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States for the same purpose. In an interview with the German radio station Deutschlandfunk on July 8, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the progress made at the NATO summit, mentioning the need to reduce the shortage of medium-range systems after the US President D.Trump canceled plans to deploy them in Germany.
If Germany buys Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, they may become a temporary solution until the completion of the development of the German-British long-range precision target acquisition system in the 2030s, or complement it.
