UK announces $50 billion NATO initiative for long-range strike weapons

7 Jul (Reuters) - Britain, France, Germany and other European countries will spend more than $50 billion over the next 10 years to develop long-range precision weapons, with the aim of bolstering NATO's defense capabilities, the British government said on Wednesday (local time).

The weapons, which will be developed without Washington's involvement, will have the ability to accurately hit targets at least 300 km away and, in some cases, more than 2,000 km away, the British government said in a statement.

"This UK-led initiative will allow us to step up our cooperation, uniting European allies to ensure NATO remains safe and secure for years to come," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer is expected to rally allies at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, where he will present the UK-led initiative.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru)

Source: Antena 1