The United Kingdom, France, and Germany have launched a $50 billion program within NATO to develop long-range precision weapons without the participation of the United States. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
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The initiative envisions that European allies will jointly create strike systems capable of hitting targets at a distance of over 2,000 kilometers over the next ten years. The program aims to combine the technologies, industry, and scientific developments of the participating countries.
Currently, the only long-range missiles of this class in Europe remain the German Taurus and the British-French Storm Shadow/SCALP, with a range of up to 500 km. Their stockpiles have decreased after being transferred to Ukraine, which used these missiles for strikes against Russian military and energy facilities.
Europe seeks to reduce dependence on the United States
According to Reuters, the need for its own long-range weapons became even more acute after US President Donald Trump canceled plans to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Germany.
This initiative, led by the United Kingdom, will allow us to intensify our cooperation by uniting European allies to ensure NATO's security for years to come
In addition, NATO countries have concluded defense industrial contracts worth $54 billion, of which $26 billion will be directed toward the development of an integrated air and missile defense system.
At the same time, the United Kingdom continues to cooperate with the United States. Last week, London announced its joining the American program of precision strike missiles by Lockheed Martin, which involves supplying the British army with ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500 km as early as next year.