The United Kingdom is considering developing long-range missiles that can destroy nuclear weapons launched from Russia, Babel reports.
According to The Times, citing diplomatic sources, the UK has made it clear that it will work with Germany to develop a weapon with a range of about 2,000 miles (3,218 km). The allies envision that this weapon would be able to reach from Berlin to Moscow in the event that Russia decides to launch tactical nuclear weapons.
British Defense Secretary John Healey discussed the project with his German counterpart in Berlin on July 24 as part of a diplomatic tour of Europe.
In addition, the diplomatic source said that recent statements by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and others suggest that Russia is lowering the threshold for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, which is a cause for concern.
Long-range missiles are planned to be deployed in Germany to replace U.S. missiles that will be deployed there in the coming years.
Two weeks ago, the White House announced that the United States would deploy hypersonic and other long-range weapons to Germany in 2026. The Times’ sources say that the American weapons will be a “bridge” to fill the gap while Europe develops its own weapons.
It is known that France, Italy, Poland, and Germany have already signed a letter of intent to develop long-range missiles in Europe, The Times notes. However, the Germans tried to convince the UK to develop weapons with them, and media interlocutors say that they agreed.
