Ukraine's battlefield lessons drive UK to spend over $545 million on hypersonic, long-range weapons in 2026

The U.K. plans to spend 400 million pounds ($545.4 million) on hypersonic and long-range weapons in 2026, drawing on lessons from Russia's war in Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry announced on Feb. 13.

The announcement comes as the annual security conference opens in Munich, running on Feb. 13–15, with about 50 world leaders and government officials expected to attend, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"To meet this new era of rising threats, we need hard power, strong alliances, and sure diplomacy," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said.

"We can see from the war in Ukraine the decisive impact of long-range precision weapons, so the U.K. is stepping up, investing more than 400 million pounds ($545.4 million) in long-range and hypersonic weapons this year," Healey added.

The planned investments will also support joint weapons projects with France, Germany, and Italy, the statement said.

The Stratus program, a collaboration between the U.K., France, and Italy, is developing a next-generation stealth missile to replace the Storm Shadow. The new missile is designed to "defeat high-value targets, destroy enemy ships, and suppress enemy air defenses," the statement said.

Separately, a joint long-range weapons program between the U.K. and Germany is entering a study phase and will focus on future stealth and hypersonic capabilities.

"Alongside Germany, France and Italy, we will deliver the cutting-edge weapons that will keep the U.K. and NATO safe, boost deterrence, and build a new deal for European security," Healey said.

This year's investment in hypersonic weapons will also cover the development of key technologies, ground and flight testing, and support for academic training, including funding for postgraduate studies, according to the statement.

The U.K. Defense Ministry added that the new domestically produced Deep Precision Strike system, with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), is expected to enter service in the 2030s.

Earlier, the U.K. and other partners announced roughly $38 billion in aid to Ukraine following a Feb. 12 meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format.

More than $2.5 billion will be allocated for Ukrainian drones, more than $500 million for the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, and $2 billion for air defense, according to Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Ukraine has long urged its partners to boost support for air defense systems, as Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure have intensified over the past months.

The attacks have left Ukraine facing its most severe energy crisis since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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