The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will see Sir Keir Starmer unveil a significant £37 billion missile development plan intended to enhance Europe’s long-range strike capabilities. The program aims to build a missile force capable of hitting targets up to 2,000 kilometers away with high precision. This effort reflects a strategic push for rapid rearmament and industrial collaboration among European allies rather than isolated national projects.
The missile initiative comprises a series of interconnected projects rather than a single weapon system. Central to the package is a UK-Germany partnership developing long-range missile technology, complemented by the Stratus missile program involving France and Italy. Baltic nations are also expected to participate, highlighting a shared approach to cost, industrial capacity, and technological risk among NATO members.
This announcement coincides with NATO’s broader agenda to convert alliance commitments into tangible defense capabilities. The summit’s Defence Industry Forum aims to spotlight new production efforts while addressing allied concerns about the United States’ steadfastness to collective defense. Against the backdrop of continued pressure from former US President Donald Trump on European allies to increase defense spending, this plan underscores the UK’s commitment to placing NATO and European integration at the forefront of its security strategy.
Recent defense initiatives provide context for this missile package. The LEAP project, involving the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, launched earlier this year to develop cost-effective air-defense weapons with the first deliveries expected by 2027. Additionally, the UK is investing over £400 million this fiscal year in hypersonic and long-range weapons development with European partners. The Deep Precision Strike program, a UK-Germany collaboration, aims for missiles with ranges exceeding 2,000 kilometers, slated to enter service in the 2030s.
NATO’s defense investment landscape reveals a significant shift. European allies and Canada boosted core defense spending by $139 billion in 2025, with several members on track to meet the alliance’s guideline of allocating 5% of GDP to defense by 2026. NATO leaders are expected to reaffirm a firm commitment to collective defense under Article 5 during the summit and pledge approximately €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2026, with plans for similar levels of support to continue into 2027.
Within this framework, the UK’s missile package aligns closely with its Strategic Defence Review and growing defense integration deals across Europe. It represents London’s intention to commit substantial resources to national security, anticipating that defense spending will reach 5% of GDP by the next parliamentary cycle, with a focus on reinforcing NATO’s collective military posture.