UK and Germany to jointly develop 2,000-km-range strike weapon

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and Germany will jointly develop a new "deep precision strike" weapon with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles), the British government said on Thursday, as Europe's two largest economies step up their defence cooperation.

The project builds on a commitment made last year to develop new weapons, when both countries signed a bilateral defence pact and stressed the need for Europe to be able to defend itself against any escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Since the signing of that deal, Donald Trump has won a U.S. presidential election and made clear he expects Europe to take responsibility for its own security, triggering a scramble on the continent to find ways to boost domestic defence industries.

British defence minister John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius will announce the new long-range weapon project at a meeting in Berlin.

"In a more dangerous world, NATO and European allies stand united," Healey said in a statement.

"This partnership is helping us make defence an engine for growth – creating jobs, boosting skills, and driving investment across the UK and Germany."

The statement did not provide further details on the project's timeline or budget.

Ministers are also expected to discuss joint procurement of torpedoes for maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and announce a deal for Germany's purchase of British-made military bridges, the statement said.

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti)