The British government announced on Thursday that the UK and Germany will jointly develop a “deep precision strike” weapon with a range of over 2000 kilometers. This signifies a further deepening of cooperation in the defense field between the two major economies in Europe, aimed at enhancing Europe’s autonomous defense capabilities.
According to reports by Reuters, this collaboration is based on a bilateral defense agreement signed by the two countries in 2024, when they pledged to jointly develop new weapons to address the geopolitical risks that may arise from the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
Moreover, with Donald Trump being re-elected as the President of the United States and explicitly stating his expectation for Europe to take on more of its own security responsibilities, European countries are increasingly emphasizing defense autonomy and accelerating the strengthening of their domestic defense industries.
British Defense Minister John Healey and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will officially announce this long-range weapon development program at a meeting in Berlin.
Healey stated in a declaration, “In this increasingly risky world, NATO and European allies are showing unprecedented unity.”
“This collaboration not only enhances our defense capabilities but also turns defense into an engine driving economic growth, creating job opportunities, improving technological levels, and attracting investments for the UK and Germany.”
Currently, a specific timeline and budget for the project have not been publicly disclosed.
In addition to jointly developing new weapons, the two ministers also plan to discuss matters related to the joint procurement of torpedoes for maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and announce an agreement for Germany to purchase military bridging equipment from the UK, further strengthening the economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector.