Overview

• Germany and Norway signed a bilateral agreement at the NATO summit in The Hague to jointly procure Joint Strike Missiles for their F-35 jets at a cost of €677 million.
• The precision-guided cruise missiles can engage both land and sea targets by flying under radar with in-flight course correction and are due for delivery by the end of 2027.
• Procurement is structured to streamline acquisition, cut bureaucracy and reduce costs through shared defense cooperation within NATO.
• The UK plans to acquire at least 12 F-35A fighters capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons in its largest nuclear buildup in decades.
• British officials say the dual-capable jets will bolster flexibility in response to increasing Russian assertiveness and a perceived drawdown of US military support in Europe.