The war in Ukraine continues to shift the military balance in Europe, prompting NATO to intensify its response. On October 17, 2024, Britain officially announced its participation in a program for developing long-range missiles alongside Germany, France, Poland, and other European partners. This initiative aims to address a gap in military stockpiles highlighted by the conflict in Ukraine, where the use of long-range missiles has become strategically important.
British Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed this commitment during a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels. He explained that the UK is formally joining the long-range missile development program, which is intended to improve the integration of European air defense systems, enhancing their collective effectiveness. According to Healey, these missiles will provide capabilities far beyond those currently available to participating nations, in line with NATO’s broader goal of strengthening deterrence and protecting Europe.
At the NATO summit in Washington in July, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland had already signed a letter of intent to collaborate on developing missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometers. Military sources at the time indicated that the goal was to create a new land-based cruise missile with a range between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometers to meet NATO’s deterrence requirements. Britain’s participation underscores the importance of the program as Europe seeks to protect itself against external threats, particularly from Russia.
As part of this cooperation, the United States and Germany also announced that starting in 2026, they will temporarily deploy U.S. long-range missiles on German soil, including SM-6, Tomahawk missiles, and developmental hypersonic weapons. This deployment, criticized by Moscow as a “very serious threat” to Russian national security, is seen as a temporary measure until Europe develops its own long-range missiles.