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The British government announced that 12 NATO countries including the UK France and Germany will invest more than £37bn over 10 years in the Deep Precision Strike project a new long-range missile system capable of striking targets at ranges from 300 kilometres to beyond 2 000 kilometres with high accuracy. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer convened leaders on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara to discuss the initiative which is billed as one of the alliance’s most advanced weapons yet is not expected to enter service until the 2030s. Reuters reported that the effort aims to reduce European reliance on United States-supplied systems amid ongoing debates over burden-sharing within the alliance.
According to the UK government the project will help bring European allies together to keep NATO safe for years to come while the country’s Defence Investment Plan has already committed £300bn by 2030. A NATO Industry Forum session highlighted at least $50bn in related new deals with six allies including the UK Denmark France Italy Norway and Turkey launching a High Visibility Project to explore ground-based precision strike capabilities such as new launchers and missiles. The Telegraph noted that the Deep Precision Strike Coalition represents an early step toward building a stronger European pillar within NATO.
The UK government stated that NATO has scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft approaching allied airspace more than 700 times while Russian military activity around UK waters has surged 30 per cent. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said “With deep precision strike capability the UK and our allies will be able to hit high value military targets and the logistical engines that drive armies deterring any aggressor and strengthening our mutual security.” Cooper added that the Ankara gathering sends a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO is stronger more European and ready to defend its citizens against the long-term threat posed by him and the Russian state.
Number 10 said Ukrainian long-range strikes such as those on key logistics hubs have significantly impacted Russia’s ability to sustain their offensives pointing to the game-changing impacts demonstrated by Ukraine’s armed forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed NATO allies for air defence systems during a Tuesday speech at the summit citing intense Russian strikes. A CSIS assessment found that European NATO countries have signed contracts for surface-to-air missile systems worth more than $50 billion since 2022 underscoring the broader push to enhance layered defences across the continent.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia would closely monitor the summit in Ankara adding that no new weapons Kyiv would get from NATO could prevent Russia from pressing on with its military operation in Ukraine until its objectives were achieved. Peskov told reporters “To our regret these were not statements about constructive engagement and dialogue but rather statements of a confrontational nature.” He noted that settlement of this conflict through political and diplomatic means remains preferable for Russia.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies has highlighted how deep precision strikes air defence and anti-tank weaponry have proved crucial in Ukraine while NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence framework continues to evolve through multinational projects. A House of Commons Library briefing placed the UK within the European long-range strike approach programme alongside partners to develop new missiles contributing to alliance-wide air defence. These combined investments align with NATO targets for increased defence spending that nearly all members agreed to pursue by 2035.
