Latest news with #EuropeanLong-RangeStrikeApproach
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
NATO will need more long-range missiles to deter Russia, US general says
As Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine, NATO and European countries need to increase production of long-range weapons, said Maj. Gen. John Rafferty to Reuters. 'The Russian army is bigger today than it was when they started the war in Ukraine,' said Rafferty, who was interviewed in Germany. Long-range missiles can reach deep inside enemy territory. Russia has very effectively used these weapons in the war against Ukraine, striking critical infrastructure. The Kremlin has escalated its attacks in Ukraine in the past month. Negotiations for a peace deal seem bleak. President Trump has ramped up his criticism of President Putin over his attacks in Ukraine, a reversal compared to the early days of his presidency. To counter Russia's offensive, on July 11, Trump struck a deal with NATO to send Patriot batteries, an anti-missile defense system, to Ukraine. Out of 32 NATO members, only a fraction of them have long-range missiles, and many depend on the U.S. for their procurement. On July 10, the United States agreed to send long-range missiles to Germany in 2026, in a clear warning to Russia. Since 2024, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK and Sweden have been participating in the European Long-Range Strike Approach to try to build new long-range strike capabilities within their respective armies, Reuters reported. Europe has made several moves in recent months to increase defense spending and weapons production. The EU signed a $162 billion deal to invest in the European Union's rearmament. At last month's NATO Summit, all 32 alliance members committed to investing 5 percent of their GDP on NATO spending by 2035, a big win for the Trump administration. 'And we know that they're [Russia] going to continue to invest in long-range rockets and missiles and sophisticated air defenses. So more alliance capability is really, really important,' said Rafferty.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany and UK to develop long-range strike weapon
Germany and the United Kingdom plan to jointly develop a long-range strike weapon and are inviting allies to participate in the project, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. Work has begun on developing the "deep precision strike" capability, Pistorius said at a meeting with his British counterpart John Healey in Berlin. "Specifically, this means that we have started developing weapon systems with a range of more than 2,000 kilometres," Pistorius said. "The current threat clearly shows that we must close all capability gaps as quickly as possible," he added. The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation on anti-submarine capabilities. The meeting focused on the implementation of the Trinity House Agreement, a bilateral agreement on defence cooperation. With their plans for a long-range strike weapon, Germany and the UK are taking a leading role in the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) project. Several other countries signed a declaration of intent to this effect at the NATO summit in Washington last year. The aim is to be able to destroy military installations or important infrastructure deep in an enemy's hinterland.
