Nato allies announce £37bn for new missile project

Image source, EPA Image caption, Yvette Cooper and Sir Keir Starmer arriving in Turkey on Tuesday By Frank Gardner , Security correspondent , Reporting from Ankara  and  Patrick Jackson Published 4 minutes ago Twelve countries, including the UK, are set to spend more than £37bn ($50bn) over the next ten years on a new long-range missile to protect Europe. The Deep Precision Strike project has just been unveiled by Number 10 and is due to be discussed later on Wednesday at the Nato summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Sir Keir Starmer is there for his final Nato summit as prime minister. He is likely to face some criticism from US President Donald Trump for failing to set out a plan for reaching 3.5% of GDP spent on defence by 2035, a target agreed by nearly all Nato members last year. But on Wednesday the prime minister will convene around a dozen leaders to discuss the new missile programme. Billed as one Nato's most advanced weapons, it is intended to strike targets nearly 200 miles (300km) away with pinpoint accuracy, possibly extending out to 1,250 miles. Sir Keir said the UK-led initiative would "help bring European allies together to keep Nato safe for years to come". But like many planned military projects in the pipeline, Deep Strike is not expected to be ready until the 2030s. In June, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of the presence of US forces in Europe . Trump has repeatedly made clear he wants Nato members to contribute more to defence spending in Europe and at last year's Nato summit, members of the alliance agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defence and security by 2035. Sir Keir said he was "determined" to ensure the safety of the UK and its allies, adding: "We must step up to deliver a stronger, more European Nato." The UK government has already committed £300bn by 2030 in the Defence Investment Plan. Hegseth renews Nato criticism and says US will review presence in Europe Published 18 June Zelensky presses Nato for air defence systems after intense Russian strikes Published 13 hours ago At the summit, Sir Keir is expected to underline the threat posed by Russia to the UK and Nato. The government said Nato had scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft approaching allied airspace more than 700 times and that Russian military activity around UK waters had surged 30%. Sir Keir is expected to stress that whilst Nato did not seek confrontation with Russia, it must be ready to defend every ally. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "With deep precision strike capability, the UK and our allies will be able to hit high value military targets and the logistical engines that drive armies, deterring any aggressor and strengthening our mutual security. "At Ankara we are sending a clear message to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin; Nato is stronger, more European and ready to defend our citizens against the long-term threat posed by him and the Russian state." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelen