UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard met Germany’s State Secretary for Armament and Innovation, Jens Plötner, in Berlin to advance a joint deep precision strike programme. The initiative focuses on developing a family of long-range stealth cruise and hypersonic missiles with ranges exceeding 2,000 kilometres, initially ground-launched, with potential air- and sea-launched variants planned for the 2030s.
This effort stems from the Trinity House Agreement signed in October 2024, enhancing defence industrial collaboration between London and Berlin. The UK Ministry of Defence states the programme remains open to additional partners. Pollard noted, “The UK-Germany relationship is incredibly strong, and we’ve marked a step forward in our work to develop cutting-edge missile capabilities.” He added that it arms military personnel with deterrent weaponry while building industrial foundations for both nations.
The UK commits over £400 million this financial year to hypersonic and long-range weapons, including this project alongside Stratus with France and Italy. Stratus develops stealth and high-speed successors to the Storm Shadow missile for high-value targets, enemy ships, and air defences, sustaining 1,300 UK jobs. Deep Precision Strike aims to bolster NATO deterrence amid Russian aggression in Ukraine, where long-range weapons have proven decisive. Discussions continue at forums like the Munich Security Conference, with service entry targeted for the 2030s to provide operational flexibility and reduce US dependency.