WASHINGTON — The United Kingdom announced today it planned to join the US Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program after having set aside £190 million ($254 million) to buy the long-range munitions.
“The investment in PrSM gives the British Army a deep surface-to-surface ballistic missile capability that will complement the Army’s One Way Effector (OWE) drone and ground-launched cruise missile capability,” the British Ministry of Defence wrote in an announcement. “This will create a mix of long-range precision strike options that the British Army needs to defend and deter as part of NATO.”
Though today’s announcement comes as NATO leaders meet in Turkey to promote defense spending amid criticism from the White House, the money for the PrSM procurement was set aside in the UK’s Defense Investment Plan (DIP), published last week after much delay and controversy.
“PrSM is a proven ballistic missile capable of reaching supersonic speeds and traveling up to 500km [311 miles],” the MoD said. “It is fully compatible with the UK’s existing upgraded M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers, meaning no additional vehicle modifications will be required.” (The US also launches the PrSM from the M142 High Mobility Artillery System.)
Having the participation of those three countries — which also make up the AUKUS trilateral arrangement — is intended to provide “significant benefits” that extend beyond the “immediate” military capability, the MoD said.
“Benefits include working collaboratively to further develop the missile — bringing in the best of British industry, and workshare to produce the missile — creating good jobs in the UK,” the UK press release added. “Working with the US and Australia, the programme aligns strongly with AUKUS Pillar 2.” Pillar 2 refers to the tech-sharing elements of the AUKUS initiative.
The UK noted that this decision does not mean it is turning its back on the Deep Precision Strike and European Long Range Strike Approach already in the works with European partners including Germany. The PrSM buy, the MoD said, is meant to be a “complementary capability.” In 2025, Germany and the UK signed an agreement to deliver a Deep Precision Strike weapon, capable of hitting targets at a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) in the next decade.
Today’s announcement comes as world leaders gather in Ankara this week for the annual NATO Leaders’ Summit and much attention is focused on what US President Donald Trump may say or threaten. While Trump has maintained a friendly public relationship with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he has taken aim at numerous member nations over the past year on topics ranging from defense spending levels to US military operations against Iran to a threat to invade Greenland.
In Washington last week, a senior UK official promised defense announcements at the summit and said the country released its DIP ahead of “Ankara to show that we’ve heard what President Trump has been saying about Europeans stepping up. To make it really clear that we absolutely agree that you need to see a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO.”
