What are the UK and Germany developing together?

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Britain and Germany have announced a new defense pact to jointly develop a powerful European missile system — with a strike range of over 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles).

“The current threat makes it clear: we need to close all capability gaps — fast,” said Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius during a meeting in Berlin.

The two nations will co-lead the project, part of a larger push to reduce reliance on U.S. military technology and build a more self-sufficient European defense system.

UK’s defense secretary John Healey called it a critical step toward “deep precision strike capability” and emphasized the importance of European NATO members doing more together.

This move comes amid growing skepticism in Europe about the future U.S. commitment to NATO, especially under shifting leadership in Washington.