The UK has announced it will spend over £400 million (€460 million) this year on developing new long-range and hypersonic missiles in partnership with European allies. Sky News reports this, writes UNN.
Details
One of the projects, jointly with France and Italy, aims to create a replacement for the Storm Shadow cruise missile – a weapon system that the UK has provided to Ukraine, and which the Ukrainian army has repeatedly used to strike targets on Russian territory.
The new missiles will be able to hit high-value targets, destroy enemy ships, and suppress enemy air defense systems.
The second project involves the UK working with Germany to create a new long-range weapon system.
These systems are expected to be able to hit targets at distances exceeding 2000 km.
For comparison, the Storm Shadow cruise missile – manufactured by the Franco-British company MBDA – has a range of about 250 km.
The UK noted that this project would only see weapons enter service in the 2030s.
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As the publication notes, Russia has gained a huge advantage over its European competitors, including the UK, thanks to significant investments in long-range missiles and drones.
The UK is trying to catch up. However, critics believe that attempts to fill this gap will be implemented too slowly and insufficiently.
The announcement of the missile plans came ahead of the Munich Security Conference, which opened today and will run until Sunday. The British delegation includes Defense Secretary John Healey.
Commenting on the missile plans, Defense Secretary John Healey said: "We see from the war in Ukraine the decisive impact of long-range precision weapons, which is why the UK is stepping up its efforts, investing over £400 million this year in long-range and hypersonic missiles.
Together with Germany, France, and Italy, we will create advanced weapon systems that will ensure the security of the UK and NATO, enhance deterrence, and lay a new foundation for European security."