The UK and Germany have announced a new collaboration to develop a long-range precision strike weapon with a range exceeding 2,000 km.
The announcement marks the first major milestone under the Trinity House Agreement, signed in October 2024, which established the first bilateral defence cooperation framework between the two nations.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the weapon will be among the most advanced systems designed by the UK, aimed at enhancing NATO’s deterrence capability while supporting national security. The project is also expected to bolster the UK and European defence industries, creating skilled jobs and driving economic growth.
The agreement was revealed during the first Trinity House Defence Ministerial Council, held today in Berlin, where German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius hosted UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP. Discussions focused on how the Trinity House Agreement is strengthening European security and boosting economic development through defence collaboration.
Healey stated: “The UK and Germany have never been closer, and the Trinity House Agreement is already making a positive impact on our security and economy. This partnership is helping us make defence an engine for growth – creating jobs, boosting skills, and driving investment across the UK and Germany.”
Additionally, the two nations discussed a joint procurement programme for Sting Ray torpedoes for P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. This initiative aims to enhance the UK and Germany’s ability to counter underwater threats. Germany will also procure advanced British military bridges as part of the collaboration, supporting jobs in the North-west of England.
The next meeting of the UK and German defence ministers will take place tomorrow (16th May) in Rome, alongside their Polish, Italian, and French counterparts, as part of the European Group of Five (E5) Defence Ministers meeting.
2000km range is fantastic, especially if deployable from a stealth platform.
Will the Germans agree to it being sold to anyone…….
With that sort of range I don’t think stealth would be even remotely necessary, you could launch from well outside of air-defences. What I wonder most is how this fits in with the Storm shadow replacement and the hypersonic weapons being developed. Perhaps it could be used to carry a nuclear warhead?
Presumably the stealth is more for the missile than the platform it is launched from, and so not wanting to be intercepted stealth is still a big factor/benefit for missiles.
It needs to penetrate those air defences though. It’s getting increasingly hard to do that without being very low radar return or being very high speed.
I don’t think you will find the UK wanting to market such a missile outside of direct allies to be honest
All indications are that it will be land launched not air launched.
That makes sense
Absolute crap – there are no indications whatsoever that this weapon will be land launched
2,000 km!
It does it it’s part of the ELSA programme that we joined. That was to develop a 2000km range ground launched cruise missile.
FCASW built between us, France and Italy will be the Storm shadow replacement for air launched weapons.
Yes there are
1) both Germany and the UK have already committed to purchasing air launched cruise missiles in numbers with new programes the UK and Germany both ordering lots of 600km+ air launched cruise missiles.
2) the UK is also developing the same air launched future cruise missiles to fit on its ships.
3) 2000km+ range cruise missiles are huge and run over 6 meters long and hit 3500Ibs
They are not launched from tactical fighters.. only strategic bombers.
Since the UK and Germany don’t have the aircraft that can lob a 6+meter cruise missile and they have already ordered/committed to their replacement cruise missiles for their strike aircraft and the uk has already committed to its ship launched system.. unless Germany and the UK are planning to buy a strategic bomber fleet these will be ground launch weapons.. that is why it’s a 2000km + range so the UK can directly hit mainland Russia from the UK….
Hi mate, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the 2000km range isn’t long enough to hit Russia from the UK. 2000km is approx 1250 miles. London to Moscow is approx 1800 miles, so we are somewhat short of legs to actually strike Russia from anywhere in the UK that might actually cause them any harm.
Agree we could target the Kaliningrad Oblast, but that’s about it I’m afraid. It is difficult to see whom we could actually Strike from the UK, thus why do we actually want/need it, unless we are basing these units in mainland Europe itself?
The range is very interesting because essentially a 2000km missile allows the UK to hold Russia at risk of attack directly from the UK. This is important because it would mean the UK could attack without needing an SSN in the high north as a strike platform or for typhoons to close within 400-500km of Russia.
It’s pretty much essential for the UK to be able to evidence that it can hurt Russia via long range strikes over and over again, as this requirement is a core deterrent against war.
Yes, I believe it’s why the range is set at 2000km, this will be land lunched from some form of moving vehicle and be able to be fired on mass from the UK or Germany into Russia.
It’s designed to provide a prompt massive precession strike as an alternative to tactical nuclear weapons to act as a deterrent to Russia.
Complete rubbish – you can’t even spell “precision” –
What’s the ability to spell got to do with anything
No it’s the correct analysis for the information available and the geostrategic picture.
Do we think this is a cruise missile with terrain following and another version of tomahawk ? Slow and low? or ballistic? Knowing our preference with FW/CAS with the French we wanted something subsonic and longer distance but the French wanted hypersonic
This will be sub sonic long range and stealthy. it will borrow heavily on the technology for FC/ASW as MBDA will be building it. It’s likely to be a longer range land based version of the sub sonic FC/ASW as the French are often discussed in its development as well.
Bollox – there is no information about stealth or speed, no mention of FC/ASW whatsoever and no mention of French involvement at all
Savid, this looks like trolling. You can make your important points another way.
David! I can spell but typing isn’t mu forte! Apologies.
Hi Jim, are we looking at this as the next chapter, after FC/ASW, do you know? Given we have Tomahawk now on SSNs it would make sense to have a subsea launched version, can you imagine the reach associated with that option? Almost no corner of the globe unreachable. I’d like to see this solution as land-based, as you say, with a design and/or conversion kit so it could be used as air-launched at some point and ….. crucially, integrated onto an F-35 (better start talking to LM now then!).
It’s almost undoubtedly not going to be a ballistic missile as that would essentially be scratch developed of an IRMB, essentially a multi stage sub orbital booster and re-entry vehicle, not something the UK or Germany has a lot of experience and it would be a profoundly expensive and limited numbers platform.. I suspect a stealthy cruise missile as both Germany and the UK have experience with that.
I would bet my bottom dollar this is a ground launched system as Germany has already ordered 600 Taurus Neo as airlaunched cruise missiles and the UK is working on an airlaunched and ship launched system with France.
The Western European nations seen to be very much gearing up on their ability to deliver pain.
Agree. From when I first read of this last year it seemed clear this is a ground launched system. So you’d assume in the hands of the Royal Artillery.
The long range subsonic missile developed with France as one half of FCASW has an IOC date of 2027. This new missile, mentioned in the original 2024 TH agreement, is presumably an entirely separate project. We also have project Brakestop about to achieve first flight. I presume that this new missile will be ground launched and ballistic. If not, isnt it just duplicating weapons already in development?.
Hi Peter the range is the difference, a 2000km + missile is a direct threat to Russia, without UK forces having to go anywhere near Russia.
I hope this does not affect the existing Deep Fires, PRSM, GMLRS program, that is ready and needs money and assets now?
I can see CND types ( not nuclear I know ) following these around like back in the day with GLCM, if they need to disperse.
I w would hope not after all it’s a different capacity.. after all a ground based 2000km range cruise missile capability is essentially a conventional strategic asset/deterrent, not a tactical one like deep fires.
Yes. I’m not opposed at all it would be an important capability. I’m just wary of assets needed now with funding taken for paper Tigers tomorrow.
And tomorrow often is cancelled.
The MIC of course don’t repay the cash spent.
Yep fingers crossed the position of the geopolitical picture means the stuff that can be done know will get done and not cut for jam tomorrow.
Hi Daniele,
Yeh, there is a risk that they try to rely on ‘wonder weapons’ and avoid paying for the mass that we so desperately across the board…
On the positive side Europe does seem to be stepping up at least on the complex weapons front where we traditionally relied on the US to provide the capability.
We will see.
Cheers CR
Nuclear capable? if not it should be
It won’t be as to not spook the Russians, this is designed to provide an alternative to tactical nuclear weapons for countries like Germany so they can have large scale precision strike.
If we put nuclear weapons on it we risk a return to the 80’s and the potential hare trigger response that nuclear TLAM brought in.
Why do you make up this sort of crap? There is no mention of nuclear weapons in the statement.
Hi David I know you’re a bit thick pal so let me explain.
Some of us read more than one source for information.
Google is your friend grandad 😀
Lots has been written on this weapon since the trinity house agreement, I suggest you do a bit of reading.
Write back if you want me to explain it for you.
👍
I wondered how long you would keep your peace. 🫣
Hence, not a nuclear weapon, you are agreeing with Jim.
Would probably be nice for him (and indeed for the rest of us) if you occasionally passed by one of his comments without taking the opportunity to insult him.
Totally agree
David Lloyd – Please stop being insulting and nasty to Jim
Are you OK?
Why don’t you just try being more civil? there’s plenty of other internet forums where you can be rude and obnoxious. You seriously lower the tone of this place.
On the contrary, he’s rude and obnoxious on other forums as well.
just a stand off nuke, something like the ASMP-A
Another interesting thought for a 2000km ground launched cruise missile is if you place a battery in Akrotiri, you can strike straight into Iran with Tehran only being 1600km distance.. so it would potentially act as a deterrent to that enemy as well.
So is this just a means of avoiding using Storm Shadow and Voyager trails for long range strikes?
I can see issues with this missile trying to be low cost so that it can actually be used in the middle east, while simultaneously having exquisite stealth, ECM etc. so that it is a credible deterrent in Europe.
I’m not saying they would use it in the Middle East, but have it as a deterrent to Iran it would be credible and to be honest if your holding Iran at risk ( via a credible threat to Tehran) as a deterrent you want a decent missile as its air defence systems are going to be reasonable.. obviously if your undertaking actions against terrorists or other more standard Middle Eastern threats then your dropping a paveway.
Look at Russia it’s not flinging IRMBs in droves at Ukraine, it used it once to let the west know it had them pointed in our direction.. successfully strategic ( nuclear and conventional ) are at their best when never used.
Agreed, I think long range conventional strike could be a very useful capability to simply hold the enemy perpetually at risk.
We’re looking at something maybe even slightly larger than Tomahawk (1.5x range, probably similar warhead), most likely to be stealthy, turbofan powered.
Primarily ground launch, but I think external launch from Tempest would be a really interesting option later on.
2000km radius from Tempest plus 2000km missile range means there wouldn’t be many places on Earth inaccessible from UK bases.
More and more I think the defence review is going to be very interesting.. capability to do harm seems to be big on the agenda.
And how many will we actually purchase after a multi billion pound development. 10-20 missiles.
In all seriousness if we are getting hundreds and hundreds then great. If as is usual we end up with a penny pockets minimal force level then I’d rather the MOD purchased in more armaments that are already in production.
I think this is a political gesture as part of the Brexit reset and trying to support more indigenous production capacity within Europe since the Orange Messiah came into POAC and the USA clearly having a retrenching philosophy to the rest of the world.
I would imagine it will be a good amount. In the end cruise missiles are generally purchased in larger numbers.. I would bet at least 100 for each nation.. and these are going to be big missiles so it will take a while to build them.. I would imagine that they will plan to keep the production line hot as part of the deterrent is not just having a number of missiles but also being able to keep building them during any conflict and quickly ramp up production.. the nation that builds more wins.
The last time the UK went cruise missile shopping we bought 900.
This weapon is being procured to act as a deterrent to Russia. If we can’t launch at-least a couple of hundred then it’s pointless.
The last time the UK went cruise missile shopping it went for around 1000 in total.. so I suspect that will be the total stock of the new generation, but what the mix is between future cruise and this missile its anyone’s guess… as a shot in the dark I will go for 80/20 so 800 future cruise for the RN and airforce and then 200 of these long range land based missiles.
The obvious reason to be developing very long range strike capabilities- specific scenarios aside- is in order to counter the steady advance of adversary A2/AD capabilities.
I would suggest it’s probably a deterrent for Russian long range systems to be honest. You fire an IRBM at the UK you get a whole bad of these back at you.
oooooo this will be great to have in our Arsenal
Good. We’re technologically decades ahead of the Russians nowadays but haven’t made it count because for a long time Whitehall hasn’t take the prospect of peer war seriously.
As usual the spin The project is also expected to bolster the UK and European defence industries, creating skilled jobs and driving economic growth.
I really wish for once someone would make a song and dance about how effectively a project will blow an enemy to kingdom come instead of looking no further than the frigging economy.
They prioritise their fat cat friends in industry. I keep saying it.
That is their main focus on MoD budget.
Not value or numbers, which are the areas we struggle in.
Hi New Me,
To be fair if you want to win a war of national survival, which is what we are talking about when we talk about Russia, supported byt rest of the CRINK nations, you need a strong economy capable of building and supporting the kit you need to fight as well as providing the treasure you need to pay for the hostilities only service people who will be needed to fight the war. If the economy is broke your chances of winning are seriously compromised. Churchill was aware of this during WW2, it is why we went along with Lender Lease.
Although, also in the spirit of fairness the government is rather pushing the point, but they kinda need to given that most people are still feeling worse off.
Cheers CR