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3w ago

UK Commits Over £400 Million in 2026 to Accelerate Long-Range and Hypersonic Weapons

The pledge is cast as a deterrence upgrade shaped by lessons from Ukraine.

British Defense Minister John Healey walks outside of 10 Downing Street, on the day of a cabinet meeting, following calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down after criticism of his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador, after the release of new U.S. Justice Department files linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in London, Britain, February 10, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Overview

  • The Ministry of Defence said spending this financial year will fund development of long-range precision and hypersonic systems in partnership with France, Germany, and Italy.
  • Central to the plan is the tri-national Stratus program to replace Storm Shadow with stealth and high-speed variants, which the UK says sustains over 1,300 high-skilled jobs.
  • The UK and Germany are launching a new joint study phase for a Deep Precision Strike system linked to the 2024 Trinity House Agreement, with a planned range over 2,000 km and entry to service in the 2030s.
  • Hypersonics funding covers critical technology work, ground and flight testing, and academic training that includes support for postgraduate study.
  • The announcement precedes meetings at the Munich Security Conference where John Healey will brief allies, as Ukrinform reports a first prototype flight test by the Anglo-German firm Hypersonica.